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Everything posted by Elerond
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Nothing can force them stop using euro, but they will lose all control and benefits they now have. So from national economical standpoint it would be better for Greek to move back to use their own currency, if they leave euro, given that they can establish some value compared to other currencies for it, so that it can be used in international trade.
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I have seen some really informed people suggesting that Greece should leave the EU as people are tired of there intransigence and lack of compliance with austerity. But for me Greece leaving the EU would effectively crash there banking institutions and who would now lend them money? You can forget the IMF as they owe them billions..maybe the BRICS bank but Greece would be considered a high risk and dishonest in its payment strategy. So Greece leaving the EU could devastate there economy to a point where they may spend 15-20 years recovering from it. Its a huge deal and really needs to be avoided Banking structure in EU has only quite minor risk to crash if Greek leaves Euro and possibly EU, as now those loans that Greeks have aren't for Europe's big banks, but IMF, ECB, and directly to other countries, so even if Greek defaults it don't collapse banks from other euro countries. For Greeks banks leaving euro would be devastating as then they don't anymore get emergency funding from ECB. But it is absolute possible that Greek can recover from such blow, but for Greeks probably would lose quite lot their standard of living on short run and it is difficult to predict how it would impact on Greek's tourism and other major sources of income. Following troika current plan would mean that Greek will have hard time to get any economic growth in next couple decades, so I can understand why it isn't very compelling option for them and why they could even risk defaulting. Option that is in current political climate nearly non-option for other euro countries is that some of Greeks loans will be forgiven or they will be changed to interest free for decades, probably could be best option in long run, as it would allow Greek to build their economy back faster without need to cut their standard of living so much as two previous options. But this option would be quite hard to sell as economy in euro area is in recession and they going through major budget cuts. And own problem comes from rising popularity of anti-EU parties, UK's upcoming referendum about leaving the union. And also worsened relations with Russia, don't help. And of course situations in Middle-east and North-Africa don't help.
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It's just that of all the people who sent me stuff internationally, only Paradox managed to screw up, twice. All other 30+ times the items came -mostly from ebay and amazon. I have ordered hundreds of items from all around world and sent hundreds of items all around world and total number cases where something have gone missing is under 10 total, meaning that usually shipping services are very reliable, but that don't help when bad luck hits, even if you ordered your stuff from most reliable seller using most reliable shipper. Best thing that you probably can do is to keep bothering Paradox's customer service, because I am pretty sure that eventually if anything else don't work they sent your stuff to you with fast courier to make you stop.
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In my shipment they provided a tracking number. But lots of shipping companies have problems with international tracking, which means that they don't always provide tracking number for shipments to everywhere where they ship, usually because they don't handle shipment all the way but buy services from some other shipping companies, which is quite annoying also for the sellers.
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Dragon Age: Inquisition vs The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Elerond replied to ktchong's topic in Computer and Console
I liked both games but objective facts support DA:I's superiority. DA:I: 151 hours played Witcher 3: 128 hours played I refuse vote either of the games, because of their poor mouse and keyboard controls, which make them undeserving to win anything. -
In most lucrative sports salaries of best athletes are higher than 15M USD. And those who success in "world finals" usually get (possibly even tens of) millions of dollars worth advertisement deals addition to their salaries. So popular esports have become quite lucrative, but it is still far from level where some traditional sports are.
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Update #99.5: Lords of the Eastern Reach
Elerond replied to BAdler's topic in Pillars of Eternity: Announcements & News
#100 update seem to be saved for something special- 4 replies
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I've seen similar remarks a few times and I don't understand it. Why not just wait until the second part is out? As far as I can tell, the only difference is that now you can play something a bit earlier if you want to. I think it has to, do with a) Obsidian promised a meaty expansion, with none of the modern DLC shenanigans, and then decided to split it up (which feels a bit like modern DLC shenanigans). To hammer the point home, Obsidian hasn't even confirmed if non-backers will have to buy each part of the expansion separately, or they will have to pay once to get the entire expansions (which the old nickel-and-dime DLC strategy). b) Sure, you can make yourself wait, but releasing the expansion in parts sends a signal that it should be played now. It's like exploits in computer games, yes you don't have to use them, but if using them is the optimal strategy, then you are more likely to use them, even if it diminishes the fun of the game. c) Since the expansion has been cut in 2 means that the story and the content of the second part must be cleanly split from the first part, instead of organicly integrated. This could very well not be a problem, but the possibility exists, and that diminished the expansion as a whole. We'll see when the expansion is released. a) For first it was PoE's backers that Obsidian promised meaty expansion, and as all backers that bought that expansion, soon 3 years ago, will get both parts one would need to count both parts when they judge if expansion is meaty enough. Obsidian/Paradox has not even yet started to take preorders for expansions from non-backers, meaning that there is no need yet announce how they can buy the expansion, but I would say it would be more customer friendly to give people ability to buy parts separately or together, but whatever they decide to do has nothing to do with their meaty expansion promise to the backers. b) Obsidian got great deal of complains because they didn't gave backers access to preview and even earlier builds of PoE, but instead made them to wait official release version. And now they get complains because they have planed their expansion so that they can offer people earlier access to some of its content, people are hard to please I see. c) PoE's story itself is divided to 4/5 parts (chapters), which would allow to split game in episodes that could be sold separately without causing any problems how player progress in the story.
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Supreme Court: Same-sex couples can marry in all 50 states
Elerond replied to Gfted1's topic in Way Off-Topic
Prides are very similar to other festivals, conventions, etc. where people that share something in common gather to spent time, have fun and share information about that thing that they have common. Which means that there are people that share that commonality but don't like said gatherings, at least any that they know and even some that hope that they would not exists because they think that other people will associate people's behaviors from those gatherings to them. Rights of sexual minorities are sky rocketed and large number of people, in many countries majority of people, not just tolerate but actually accept and support sexual minorities right to exists, and also common thinking about homosexuality has changed from unnatural-, abnormal- , vile-, dangerous-, indecent-, etc. behavior to that homosexuality is normal-, natural-, decent-, etc. behavior after prides have become common place and know things in those countries. Also how sexual minorities are portrayed in media has changed lot (it isn't stereotyped as much, it isn't shown as dangerous behavior that leads individuals doom, but instead it is become additional trait of characters that don't necessary define them and spectrum of sexual minority characters have become larger and more nuanced) and become more common. Meaning that it is quite easy to argue that at least prides haven't generally hurt sexual minorities rights or caused people see them in just one way. -
Supreme Court: Same-sex couples can marry in all 50 states
Elerond replied to Gfted1's topic in Way Off-Topic
If you think that argument bit more you find that it really don't hold any closer scrutiny. And even if we leave all sense, logic and decently behind us, how do you even begin to plan actual isolation of population group which members can born to any family in any social, economical, ethnic, religious, cultural, etc. group that there are and they don't have any visible marks or clear test that would reveal their sexual orientation. And in this your isolation system do bisexual had to decide between living with other people or living isolation or is it based on some random system? I don't think it's possible, but if they stopped advertising this rainbow low caliber clothing 'style of gay', and forcing down our throats with sad stories and aggressive feminine ( but from a male ) attitudes, making us all look like an abomination. I'd have no problem, not even patronizing homosexuality, if the majority of them stopped being this stupid. They can live happily without a lisp, they can live happily without feminine acting. It's not a thing that comes with gay, feminine acting and general sexual stupidity ( promoting it like porn in daylight - "I'm here in daylight because I have sex with men, and there's hundreds of us, you should join in" ). To be honest, all emotions aside for a second, it's unnecessary and making us look weak and abnormal, begging for combat. It's also provocative for a lot of people are homophobic and it's even broadcast now. They get so much attention, they've reached the peak now surely. I would HATE to see it carry on from this point, gay-pride, but sure be gay. So you say people should stop publicly liking, practicing or exercising anything they like because some other people don't necessary like how they behave, like for example people should not wear fan shirts, symbols, flags, bandanas, religious symbols etc., go concerts, conventions, exhibitions, religious events, sporting events, etc.. Gay prides are only events where people celebrate something in their lives and make public demonstration that they have people like them exist and they have right to exists. I also would point out that your premise that they promote one style of gay is absolute wrong, and that feminine acting don't have anything to do being gay and association of such trait to gays is actually product of media (movies and tv-series) that more often than not give such behavior for their gay characters when there is one in the movie/tv-series. So feminine acting is trait that our society demands from the gays so that they can be gays. -
Supreme Court: Same-sex couples can marry in all 50 states
Elerond replied to Gfted1's topic in Way Off-Topic
If you think that argument bit more you find that it really don't hold any closer scrutiny. And even if we leave all sense, logic and decently behind us, how do you even begin to plan actual isolation of population group which members can born to any family in any social, economical, ethnic, religious, cultural, etc. group that there are and they don't have any visible marks or clear test that would reveal their sexual orientation. And in this your isolation system do bisexual had to decide between living with other people or living isolation or is it based on some random system? -
The Moscow Times is Moscow based publication that don't actually is issued in Finland. It is funded by Russian based (Sanoma) Independent Media, which is owned by Sanoma Oyj(Public Limited Liability Company), which primary owners are Finnish family Erkko's foundation and company's CEO Antti Herlin. They are one of the five biggest magazine publishers in Europe and own several TV stations. So they are bit like Finnish Murdochs, meaning that they own big part of news outlets. But as I haven't ever read even single issue of The Moscow Times, I can't say if or if not it is a propaganda magazine. But as Finnish people accuse Sanoma Oyj's magazines, like Helsingin Sanomat, that are published in Finland to spreading leftist, communistic and Russian propaganda (can't really judge if there are bases in reality for such accusations, as similar accusations are targeted against all the largest Finnish news outlets by certain Finns), I would guess that said magazines suffers from similar issues.
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I don't know what story they are using for their exercise, but it's the most likely scenario. Also it's very probable that the support they are talking about is physical, ie. logistic, military, training, weapons, etc. I mean it's a war exercise, does it matter what story/pretext is used in it... One thing that is noteworthy in story story/pretext is that it was scenario in which Russia invades areas from another country/countries, meaning that it was not planned to be defensive exercise but aggressive one. I would also note that war exercises even though they are set in hypothetical scenarios always have purpose in greater military strategy of country and they are meant to make sure that country's military is ready to carry out that purpose if/when need to that comes.
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This feature was already in the game, I am not sure which update and why it is removed, although I would guess that it may have been removed because lots of people have complained how over powerful tanks are, although in my opinion feature in question don't play very big part in how powerful tanks are. So maybe it is removed to make rogues and rangers more powerful against enemies.
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Supreme Court: Same-sex couples can marry in all 50 states
Elerond replied to Gfted1's topic in Way Off-Topic
They already are, if by "marry" you mean "make wedding vows before witnesses (and god if that's your thing), and live together accordingly". The question is, which of those marriages should receive state recognition along with tax benefits and bureaucratic/legal conveniences. That is problem when you make something legal institution, then it becomes civil right issue for every group of people that you don't permit to take part that institution. If state had never given marriage legal status, then there would not had been any fights to wider or limit groups of people that are permitted by law to participate in that institution. -
Any naming method that you can think to use in fantasy setting you probably find out that it is actually method that is actually used in somewhere in real world to name places.
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Kickstarter Backer achievement
Elerond replied to Sormaran's question in Pillars of Eternity: Technical Support (Spoiler Warning!)
Difference is, achievements is (!)steam(!) feature, not Obsidian's. And i paid for a game on steam. I thought i well explained this in op... Oh well, as i said, prolly wont answer anymore to ppl who won't read past 1st paragraph. I'll wait for good points\quiestions or answer from dev's regarding the issue(not likely, i know). Achievements actually is feature that is offered by developers of the games not Steam, Steamworks just offers universal API for achievements, that Steam also uses to portray achievements that you have got from games that you own. It is similar feature to multiplayer API's that Steamworks offer or copy protection systems that Steamworks offers. Meaning that developers have full right to decide themselves do they want to use them and how they want to use them. Valve don't offer any curate or limit how developers choose to use those APIs. -
That's dumb. That is similar change (from 50 to 70) that lobbyists of media corporations drive through in EU, so that it would be same as in USA. It was also one of USA's requisites for Transatlantic Free Trade Area negotiations. Cynical part of me would guess that similar reason can be found behind Canada's change also.
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Kickstarter Backer achievement
Elerond replied to Sormaran's question in Pillars of Eternity: Technical Support (Spoiler Warning!)
You have right to want such thing, like you for example have right to want to get game free, or get expansion free like some backers, or get expansion and game with cheaper price like some backers and so on and so forth, but Obsidian as developer has right to not give you such options if they don't want to. If you want them to give you access to that achievement or some other things that they don't currently offer, then you need to explain them why it is so big deal and they may offer you such access. -
Why would they? As far as I can see there was crime, but justice seem to be serve according to how people would except it to be served. Rioting happens usually when people feel that there has been some sort injustice or major sport event. I would guess that if there will be riots they will be in Columbia if people feel that removal of that the flag that now gets lots of attention is injustice and against their will.
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More firearms in the hands of law abiding citizens makes for a more massacre-resistant society. Definitely http://shootingtracker.com/wiki/Mass_Shootings_in_2014
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What I find most interesting about the Devil so far is that it sounds like some really advanced soul technology, the kind that only Engwythian are supposed to have mastered, but that lady has been in a metal construct for fifteen years, top. Knight of the Crucible are/were in their way to mass product bit less self aware versions of such constructs, meaning that there has to be at least some people around that have studied such thing and who have gotten some results out of their studies.
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Request - Overwrite Enchantments
Elerond replied to Gary1986's topic in Pillars of Eternity: General Discussion (NO SPOILERS)
Currently unique items (not all, but most) have unique properties/enchantments that you can't get through enchanting, although those properties/enchantments take enchanting slots from the items, although that matters only with some items that have multiple such properties/enchantments. -
Request - Overwrite Enchantments
Elerond replied to Gary1986's topic in Pillars of Eternity: General Discussion (NO SPOILERS)
It is not because crafting is more restricted in Arcanum or NWN2 than in PoE that their crafting systems feel more interesting, but that they feel more rewarding. In PoE there crafting adds only little bonuses for the items or short temporal boost for characters and you can actually mostly ignore it. In NWN2 had more complex crafting system, but that rewarded you if you invested in it and in Arcanum crafting was life blood for tech play through, sadly it is actually much less interesting and rewarding than magic side, both games' crafting systems suffer from similar issues than PoE meaning that crafting is just optional side content, it isn't needed and addition to get most benefits from it you need heavily invest in it (which you don't need to do in PoE), but where they are better is in complexity and effort, which probably them feel more rewarding than PoE's system at least for some.