Everything posted by Elerond
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Don't Read to Your Children
Actually, no. "Conflict" is only mentioned in the text once. I see nothing inherently wrong in being conflicted over that. It's not the same as "being conflicted about coming up with justification for the family". Basically you find it objectionable that people exist who dare to think about whether the way we're doing things is optimal or not, regardless of what conclusion they arrive on. Congratulations, you have (re-)invented thoughtcrime. Yes, because despising someone because their first principles are utterly insane and that they must grasp at straws to justify a position that no rational person should have difficulty accepting in the first place is "(re)inventing thoughtcrime". There is exactly zero rational basis for accepting that familial good takes precedence over social justice if you accept equality of opportunity as a first principle as Swift and Brighouse do. Yet both of them are attempting to do so in the article, and looking at what's available on wiki they have both been doing so for the past 6 years at least. Swift himself is an authoritarian rat**** as evidenced by the last minute of that little soundclip helpfully provided by the article. Article is not written by them, but somebody else that tries to portray their philosophies by using a few quotes from them that are put in order that writer of article sees best. So it isn't very good as source when you want to judge Swift's and Brighouse's philosophies, maybe little better than use it as source to judge Platon's philosophies but not much. Article seems to be more a brief glimpse to some philosophies that try to determine value of family and in at least in Swift case how that value would work in society which aim is equality. I would point out that philosophers that come up with philosophies don't necessary believe that they are right ones to society in anyway, but extreme thought plays were you take one to a few ideologies and start to create idea of ideal society based on them to see if that would produce something that could withstand closer scrutiny. So for example lets take ideological values inequality is bad and family is good and lets see how these things come in together. Because, of course, at this point in time I'm going solely off the article and not off of Smith and Brighouse's stated position of Liberal Egalitarianism. Wait, no, that's just exactly backwards. Liberal Egalitarianism is a rather specific ideology which is inherently self contradictory that attempts to combine the fundamentally incompatible tenets of Liberty and Egalitarianism. The article in question is merely one in a long list of failed attempts at doing so. I didn't know that this was book about Liberal Egalitarianism. http://press.princeton.edu/titles/10385.html
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Macedonian conflict (Ukraine Redux)
50 were identified as far as I'm hearing and there were trained at that. They were smuggled from Kosovo and put in to hiding in the city until the conflict started. This was no armature hour operation and the scary thing is that there was one suicide bomber. Finnish news say that there are 30 people that got charged for terrorism from which 18 was Kosovo's Albanians, because of last weekends violence. They also mention that 22 people got killed in clashes that lasted over day, and it is mentioned that 8 of the dead were police officers. Where? hs.fi didn't have anything... Links go to pages that are written in Finnish. http://yle.fi/uutiset/makedonia_vangitsi_30_viikonlopun_tulitaistelun_jaljilta/7987268 http://www.ts.fi/uutiset/ulkomaat/769176/Makedoniassa+30lle+syytteet+terrorismista+enemmisto+kosovolaisia http://www.mtv.fi/uutiset/ulkomaat/artikkeli/makedoniassa-30-sai-syytteen-terrorismista/5078670 HS.fi don't have article about charges, but they have couple about violence http://www.hs.fi/ulkomaat/a1431226600002 http://www.hs.fi/ulkomaat/a1431139450753 http://www.hs.fi/ulkomaat/a1431223019024
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Macedonian conflict (Ukraine Redux)
50 were identified as far as I'm hearing and there were trained at that. They were smuggled from Kosovo and put in to hiding in the city until the conflict started. This was no armature hour operation and the scary thing is that there was one suicide bomber. Finnish news say that there are 30 people that got charged for terrorism from which 18 was Kosovo's Albanians, because of last weekends violence. They also mention that 22 people got killed in clashes that lasted over day, and it is mentioned that 8 of the dead were police officers. Clashes said happened in Kumanovo, which is stated to have Albanian majority population. And it is also mentioned that Macedonia's opposition suspects that violence was orchestrated by Macedonian government that wants people to forgot accusations that are lay against them. Accusations were that government had wiretapped 20.000 people, that includes judges, journalists, polices, foreign diplomats and religious leaders. It is mentioned that government deny accusations and blames foreign spy for wiretapping the people. It is mentioned that Kosovo's government condemns actions of their citizens. It is mentioned that prime minister of Macedonia says that group has battle experience from Middle East. And that group planed attacks against governmental offices. It is mentioned that there was no civilian casualties or injured civilians. It is mentioned that group was armed with assault rifles, grenades, RPGs. And it is mentioned that fights destroyed at least 10 houses completely and several other houses got damaged.
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An Honest but Harsh Review on the Setting
Totally fitting in my book. No offense, but your alternative for Aloth is what I would find ridiculous. Yselmir didn't put it politely, so why should my character? And what's more, you don't have to say it. You just have to give it a rest with one of the other options. How is it fitting? And how is the alternative ridiculous? Because in that option your character points out that Aloth clearly insulted that man and not try anyway beat around the bush with that fact like your alternative does. There is such alternative option in that conversation as you can instead to choose to say "You did make a rather lewd suggestion regarding one of the aggressors and his own sister." , which makes your alternative needles and even poorer option than one that is offered.
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Don't Read to Your Children
A state has as much power as people of the state gives to it, if the state don't get outside help. Meaning that the state need support of majority of power that the state's people hold to do anything. So in scenario where a state somehow has power to take people children away, it means that in that scenario majority of power that people of the state hold is behind that decision or that decision is made with support of outside power. In first option it don't mater if people have right to carry guns, because they majority of power that gives to people is behind the state's decision to take children away, which mean that majority of those people that own those guns want to take children away from their parents, of course if majority of power that people supporting the state decision is not high enough this scenario probably leads in civil war. In second scenario we speak in situation where another and probably larger and a more powerful state supports minority power in the state and forces majority of power in the state accept their view, this scenario will even more likely lead to civil war, in this scenario people's right to own guns probably means that outside power needs to be much higher than if people of the state didn't have right to own guns.
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Don't Read to Your Children
Actually, no. "Conflict" is only mentioned in the text once. I see nothing inherently wrong in being conflicted over that. It's not the same as "being conflicted about coming up with justification for the family". Basically you find it objectionable that people exist who dare to think about whether the way we're doing things is optimal or not, regardless of what conclusion they arrive on. Congratulations, you have (re-)invented thoughtcrime. Yes, because despising someone because their first principles are utterly insane and that they must grasp at straws to justify a position that no rational person should have difficulty accepting in the first place is "(re)inventing thoughtcrime". There is exactly zero rational basis for accepting that familial good takes precedence over social justice if you accept equality of opportunity as a first principle as Swift and Brighouse do. Yet both of them are attempting to do so in the article, and looking at what's available on wiki they have both been doing so for the past 6 years at least. Swift himself is an authoritarian rat**** as evidenced by the last minute of that little soundclip helpfully provided by the article. Article is not written by them, but somebody else that tries to portray their philosophies by using a few quotes from them that are put in order that writer of article sees best. So it isn't very good as source when you want to judge Swift's and Brighouse's philosophies, maybe little better than use it as source to judge Platon's philosophies but not much. Article seems to be more a brief glimpse to some philosophies that try to determine value of family and in at least in Swift case how that value would work in society which aim is equality. I would point out that philosophers that come up with philosophies don't necessary believe that they are right ones to society in anyway, but extreme thought plays were you take one to a few ideologies and start to create idea of ideal society based on them to see if that would produce something that could withstand closer scrutiny. So for example lets take ideological values inequality is bad and family is good and lets see how these things come in together.
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Godlikes, Reproduction, and Gilded Vale entry
I don't think that there is anything inherently wrong in godlikes as race, but currently their lore is inconsistent with them, meaning that their lore book, character creation description and how people react towards them is not consistent. And lack of dialog choices and how people not react towards them cause me to lose my suspension of disbelief. Overall these leave feeling rushed job which cause godlikes feel like they aren't really part of game world, if you don't take account Pallegina who feels like she is really part of the world.
- UK election special
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Why does the origin of the Gods matter? (Ending Spoilers)
I would go with easter egg feature where you ascend to godhood when you kill your millionth enemy in the series
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Godlikes, Reproduction, and Gilded Vale entry
Godlikes get bit half finished treatment in the game and the lore.
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Don't Read to Your Children
Dying is fine, but I wouldn't include killing in a child's story, but then again, I'm no author. Well given the age range, why not? Child is everything up to 12, no? Depends on how the killing is done, how it fits in the story. Heh the Animal Farm film was ok, up to the ending which was needless. In my opinion Treasure Island for example is good book for all the people over 8 years old, even with all the killings that book has.
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Don't Read to Your Children
Broad statement that, so is preventing the the genocide of Yazidis in Iraq by ISIS also considered meddling ? http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Foreign-Policy/2014/0808/Obama-intervenes-in-Iraq-lessons-learned-from-Benghazi-and-Rwanda-video I can't decide if fighting ISIS is meddling or just cleaning up our mess. At any rate I'd end all hostilities with Assad. The issue I have with this view is everyone seems to be absolved of responsibility for the creation and impact of ISIS except for the West The Iraq government who marginalized the Iraq Sunni's get a pass Assad the brutal dictator of Syria who is responsible for the protracted civil war in Syria which allowed the actual creation of ISIS gets a pass The Russians and Chinese who also have vested interests in stability in the region get a pass The Middle East themselves gets a pass from having to meaningfully address ISIS But when the USA intervenes to stop genocide its seems to be meddling and or is seen as cleaning up a mess of it own creation...which I dispute So no pass for Western countries, just judgement But one also could argue that Iraq would not had had government that marginalized Sunni Muslims if invasion by western armies leaded by USA wasn't happened. And that Saddam wouldn't never gained power in Iraq if USA wouldn't had supported him and his troops against Iran. Of course one can also argue that all blame don't go to western powers alone as lot of their meddling was reaction towards meddlings by Soviet Union, which were reactions by western actions in other places in world, which were caused by Soviet Unions/'Communist threat' in some other places in world and all was started by change of power in World War II which was caused by economical and social issues caused by World War I which was caused by social and economical issues of several previous wars and social and technological changes all around world, which was caused people getting tired on older social class systems that were born because dislike towards even social and economical systems and so on and so forth and end everything that is wrong in world is because of people that live thousands of years ago. And now as we know who the blame, we should start to find solutions on these problems that are caused by them .
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Are Ciphers garbage after 1.05?
A problem in the developers' execution of their ideas, perhaps, but not necessarily a problem for the player. I think by happy accident the Cipher has fallen into a role where it alternates between single target DPS and area DPS that requires precise positioning in a way that makes them interesting to play. They're like the one class that's well served by staying mobile on the battlefield right now, which is an interesting change of pace from the usual static nature of combat positioning. The developers could try to bring them back in line with their original intention by curtailing the Cipher's area effects, but they might be better served by refining the Cipher for the role it's fallen into. But do they actually play poorly in their intended role, that was the question. As they have bonuses in their weapon damage and some of their spells do powerful singe target damage. Addition to those they have spell that let them to work in other roles, like AoE spells that you mentioned and mind control spells and so on spells. Meaning that if they work fine in role where they were intended then topics premise that they are garbage is wrong, if they don't work fine in role where they were intended, but work fine in other roles, then topic may have some merits, and if they work fine in role where they were intended and in some other roles, then especially premise of topic is wrong. Also I argue against notion to measure ciphers worth by comparing them to wizards and druids as they are intended to different role, especially if wizards and druids can't perform better in that role in which ciphers were intended to.
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Are Ciphers garbage after 1.05?
All well and good, but reality makes a stronger argument than theory in this case. It's what people make of these characters that matters, not the creator's intent. But if we argue that they don't work as designed then we need to look what they were designed for. If they work fine in role where they were designed for but not in the roles where people use them, then there is no problem in them, it is just people playing game in non-optimal way and there isn't necessary any reason to make changes in class because of that fact, meaning that people are free to play as they want but the game don't necessary need to make that play style as good as other play styles. But if class don't work fine even in role where it is designed for, then there is problem and it could also be argued that if class don't work fine in its intended role, but it works fine in some other role then there is also problem in its design, but not necessary as big.
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Are Ciphers garbage after 1.05?
Are they? They have quite a bunch of AOEs that are arguably more powerful than some in the wizards arsenal. And don't forget mindblades, dead cheap, since it's a second level spell, but quite deadly to vessels and kith. It is how Josh Sawyer the lead designer of PoE described his intents for the classes. But as it also become intend to make classes so that they can perform other roles that they are designed for, they also gave them abilities/talents/spells that let them do that. But it is stated that intended roles for classes are following Single target DPS: Cipher, Rogue, Ranger Fronline: Fighter, Monk, Barbarian Crowd Control: Wizard, Druid Leaders of party/support: Priest, Chanter, Paladin You can check this from Updates about classes in Announcements and News section.
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Are Ciphers garbage after 1.05?
As ciphers are meant to be single target DPS casters and Druids and Wizards crowd control casters, the question is do ciphers have ability to do more damage against single target than wizards and druids and if they do, do they do that higher damage in such marginal that they are optimal choice over those two in that role. Another question is that do wizards and druid bare better against group of enemies than ciphers and do they bare so much better that one would chose them over ciphers in that role.
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UK election special
Democratic systems all have one thing common, which is the fact that after an election there will be somebodies that complain how unfair the system is. Systems that give more places for parties that have gotten more votes get complaints how they cause individual people who got more votes than some members in popular party not get place in parliament (or what ever election is for), and systems that put votes that individual people get over overall number votes that parties get, get complains how it is wrong that parties with smaller number of voters behind them get more seats than more popular parties, just because their candidates individually got more votes. And systems where there is only one electoral district, get complains how smaller communities and rural areas have hard time to get representatives, where high population areas just dominate election, and systems where there are multiple electoral district that get equal representation in parliament (or what ever), get complains how parties get higher percentage of representatives than their percentage of votes in whole country was. So regardless of what democratic elections system you choose there will be people that complain about it after election that didn't have result that they wanted.
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Which class has most unique dialogues?
It is because Rautai is for some reason written Ruatai in files that check backgrounds, which causes that you don't find them when you search Rautai from the files. Kana's conversation is only one, I think, that has background checks for Rautai. EDIT: There are 9 Rautai checks, from which 8 are with Kana
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Full Making of Documentary is Now Live!
Documentary is quite insightful. Especially part about making sneak speak trailer for the game.
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Obsidian should make a Sci-Fi RPG
Alpha Protocol 2 is nearly impossible dream, as Alpha Protocol is SEGA's IP. So best hope is to make game with similar theme but that don't actually have any ties with AP.
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Why is Game Audio 32khz?
Unity has support for vorbis, but it doesn't have one for opus. So if they would want to use opus they would need to port codec themselves in the unity. Was also one of my thoughts. Calling libOpus should not the hardest excercise, but if you have vorbis at hand … It becomes harder when you don't have access to source behind engine's APIs, but instead you need to write separate module that you use for handling audio and make it work with engine's other APIs.
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Why is Game Audio 32khz?
Unity has support for vorbis, but it doesn't have one for opus. So if they would want to use opus they would need to port codec themselves in the unity.
- UK election special
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The rendered environments and load times...
I would guess that reason behind loading times are number of assets bundles that is loaded per map and how they are loaded. So I would say that environments and how they are made play quite small factor on loading times.
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An old but endless discussion...the Backer Achievement
That is bit stretching as in 99.99% of steam games less than 0.1% (Steam don't offer more accurate information) of people playing the games actually use their time to get all the achievements. So it may be important feature to some, but not actually that many, especially if you take consideration that there is program freely available in internet that you can use to mark those achievements achieved. Even at this moment under 50% of all players of PoE in steam have gotten achievement that they have finished Act 1, most achieved achievement is hiring adventurer and even that is achieved by under 50% of the players. so because there is over 300k people that have played PoE in steam (according to steamspy), it means that over 150k people haven't even finished first act. And there is four achievements that are achieved only by under 300 people, which is not many it is very niche punch of people and it's impossible to say how many of those used that freely available hacking tool to get those achievements.