Elerond

Reason behind Doxxing (releasing their home address and other contact information and specific somewhat intimate details about person in net forum or similar place where it can be seen anonymously and with little traces left behind) public persona is usually to advocate harassment against that person by offering easier access to information that usually needs some effort to be find out and giving that information in net forum gives harassers more protection as they don't leave traces of themselves in databases that contain that information, which makes it more difficult for police actually find harassers, as they often use anonymous accounts/letters, burner phones or some similar nearly impossible traced way to deliver their threats, which can often be made very specific with given information, which will instill fear and panic in those who receive them even though even if all information in the threats were actually things that can be found from public databases.

That "chatterwhiteman" has never tweeted anything gamergate related. Whatever his reasons were I hope the police finds him. Twitter threats, at least those which is posted one, were done from new twitter account which was only used, in my knowledge, to deliver those threats which is quite typical thing in these twitter threats. But reason why I linked them to this discussion is because Brianna Wo seems been critical towards #gamergate and says that she got doxxed by 8chan/#gamergate before those threats, she seems to think that threats were related to #gamergate and more importantly lot of other people like Wil Wheaton who retweeted threats with #gamergate hastag with them and some of the tweets which Brianna Wo posted as proof about threats implies that threats used doxxed information (like her address, which was obscured in the posted proof picture). Longer list of threats that include one that implies to have address information which is obscured https://twitter.com/Spacekatgal/status/520739878993420290

Brianna Wu Head of Development at indie studio Giant Spacekat, says in her twitter that she got doxxed by 8chan/#gamergate and that she gets threats. https://twitter.com/Spacekatgal/status/520727151503757313 https://twitter.com/Spacekatgal/status/520729046171529216 I don't think that threating and doxxing those that develop games will make gamers life any better, even if they are small time indie developers

Jim Sterling's had today quite lot to say about GG in the twitter https://twitter.com/JimSterling

Todd Howard one of the designer of TES series has said that Darklands was one of the game that influenced them. https://web.archive.org/web/20090711210304/http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/fullstory.php?id=159095

I think at this point, the lack of validity of that article is entirely unquestionable. I am not sure what the original point behind quote is, but that article that is linked in the quote laments the fact that people dismiss girls in geekdom by using "fake geek girl" stereotype. Meaning that article's writer don't claim accuse anybody to be "fake geek girl", but instead ask people not to use such term as she feels that it's term used by elitist jerks. Although article refers to one article from Forbes written by one of their female contributors that has tittle that seems to attack girls that fake to be geeks, but even it is more general lament about fact that geeky things are in this days popular and accepted by society and people embrace term geek instead of be branded by it. But anyway said article don't seems to be great for any point of view that quote reflects. EDIT: As article is about usage of term "fake geek girl" among comic book reader so it is weak reference for such thing happening in gaming circles. And I don't see why article that laments about people dismissing girls by using term "fake geek girl" loses it significance just because it is written by a woman? I'm pretty sure Kain was referring to the article by Tara Tiger Strong piece. The article on The Verge links to this article as the support that Gamers, meaning white male misogynists, hate and revile women as Fake Geek Girls, yet the only source in this article that refers to fake geek girls in a negative manner is the Tara Tiger Strong piece about "Fake Geek Girls, Go Away", written by a woman. Verge's article don't directly link on that article, but it links this article(that focuses on ranting about how bad "gamers" [what ever that means] behave), written by Peter Frase from Jacobin magazine that links to that mary sue article. Jacobin's article uses that Mary Sue article as reference about "gamers" (what ever that means) dismissing women by stereotyping them as "fake geek girls", in which as I previously pointed that particular Mary Sue article is quite weak reference as it focuses on comic book geeks and geek stereotypes in comic book circles, but it seems to reference article as whole not any particular piece of it (like for example that reference to Tara's article, which don't actually call anybody as fake geek, but instead seem to held notion that these days doors to geekdom are too wide open and geekdom should be more elitist society). Jacobin's article concludes that problems in withing gaming do actually have little to do with gaming itself and more with wider political agendas (right wing agendas more precisely and capitalism (which make me think that Jacobin is probably politically left leaning publication). Verge uses Jacobin's article to reference that Gamergate has right-wing flavor all over it ("there’s a reactionary right-wing flavor to all of Gamergate’s desperate yelling."). Verge's article has several references how gamergate is right-wing or conservative movement that opposes progressiveness. So in short it was not Verge's article that referred to Mary Sue's article, but Jacobin's article, which used Mary Sue's article as example how male "gamers" call women "fake geek girls", even though Mary Sue's article is about usage of "Fake Geek Girl" term in comic book geekdom, Verge used Jacobin's article to refer how gamergate is actually about right-wing agenda and all three articles make my head hurt.

I think at this point, the lack of validity of that article is entirely unquestionable. I am not sure what the original point behind quote is, but that article that is linked in the quote laments the fact that people dismiss girls in geekdom by using "fake geek girl" stereotype. Meaning that article's writer don't claim accuse anybody to be "fake geek girl", but instead ask people not to use such term as she feels that it's term used by elitist jerks. Although article refers to one article from Forbes written by one of their female contributors that has tittle that seems to attack girls that fake to be geeks, but even it is more general lament about fact that geeky things are in this days popular and accepted by society and people embrace term geek instead of be branded by it. But anyway said article don't seems to be great for any point of view that quote reflects. EDIT: As article is about usage of term "fake geek girl" among comic book reader so it is weak reference for such thing happening in gaming circles. And I don't see why article that laments about people dismissing girls by using term "fake geek girl" loses it significance just because it is written by a woman?

Or Alpha Lion. Or Pack Leader. Or Prime Lion. Those sound to me also very MMO like names. And this is because in MMO it is very typical that you have multiple version of same enemy type that go gradually from easy to hard and they have some sort naming system that goes with that ideology. But MMOs didn't invent such design, but instead copied it from P&P (D&D one of the biggest users) RPGs. Such design is used because it is easy way to produce more enemies to game. Downside using such design is that it can cause lack of real variation in enemies and that naming systems that try to reflect gradual rise in power of enemies with same base type often produce namings that can cause breaks in suspension of disbelief especially when namings seems to go against how things work in real life. Like Elder Dragon is usually acceptable name for more powerful dragons, but Elder lion sounds wrong because in real life Elder lions are often weaker than younger members of their pride. Reason why this kind of enemy design and naming gives people MMO vibes is that MMOs often use it in point that it's impossible not to notice it. But map with multiple alphas, primes or pack leaders of any enemy type would break my suspension of disbelief as much if not even more than elder lions (and other animals that have name that corresponds with those from our world) do. To me it would be best if they used some conlang terms to reflect the gradual rise in power level of the enemies, because gradual rise in power level is something that don't happen in real life, so I think it would better if it isn't described by real world words, but instead of words that are made for this particular fantasy setting.

I don't think that atmosphere that op describes is what Obsidian intents for PoE and I don't think that it should be main atmospheric theme for PoE. PoE is said to be homage for IE games that were very classic High Fantasy games if you don't count Planescape: Torment which atmosphere focused on strangeness and difference of Planescape universum than being dark and gritty. So to me high fantasy atmosphere with mature writing what backer beta promises is just what I thought that I will get when I backed PoE two years ago.

Is Kotaku known from its critical coverage, especially reviews about VPN services? Because I feel that there is quite big difference to do sponsored articles about subjects that you/your site don't cover in regular basis than doing same for subjects that you regularly cover. Which is I find sponsored gaming content in gaming sites/channels/etc. be bit more troubling than sponsored coverage of content that those sites/channels/etc. don't regularly cover. And I find it maybe bit ironic to claim that sponsored content don't matter as site that I think to be corrupted does so too. For full disclosure: I personally think that Kotaku is poor gaming site that I read only when somebody else links it in conversation and I watch boogie's videos occasionally, as I find them somewhat entertaining.

Gamergate explained by point of view of its supporter http://gamergate.giz.moe/about/

Health - endurance system is copied with some modifications from Darklands Firearms role in game is inspired by how they worked in Darklands Event screens (or what ever they call those screens where you can decide what you do) have drawn their inspiration from Darklands.

Newest flooding in my twitter feed. Interestingly most Gamergate messages tweets come from people that I didn't even known to have any interest about games retweeting people that I have never heard before (as from gaming circles only Totalbiscuit, Ragnar Tørnquist and Jim Sterling seems to be only ones that I follow that have any interest tweet/discuss about GG and things relating to it). https://storify.com/TheGrimCorsair/quinnae-moon-on-gg-and-nys?utm_source=t.co&utm_content=storify-pingback&utm_campaign=&awesm=sfy.co_du5n&utm_medium=sfy.co-twitter

This is bit simplified as both terms have multiple definitions that can change depending on what context word is used. Objectivity is to looks source behind conclusions Subjectivity is to make conclusions themselves in the first place. Like for example when Erkki says that it is cold outside that is subjective conclusion that is based his perspective about subject. But we want objective information so we ask how Erkki come in such conclusion, and Erkki tells us that he was outside and weather felt cold for him. So we looked claim from objective perspective and end results was that Erkki thinks that is is cold outside because of his subjective conclusions that were based on his individual (subjective) feelings. There is no measurable facts involved. In other example we could look things from different perspective: There is snow in the ground and thermometer says that there is -5 degrees of Celsius (23 degrees Fahrenheit) outside and when Erkki comes inside he say that there is warm outside. Do Erkki lie as facts that we know about situation make us to draw different (subjective) conclusion about situation than what Erkki did from his subjective feelings?

You can't claim (or more accurately you can but I would say that you don't actually mean what you claim) to want objective view of things if you don't read opinions from people that hold views that oppose those that you hold.

Meh, could've been muuuuch better, but instead it barely touched the surface. I wasn't even sure if the author saw anything wrong with the industry as it is. I would guess basin on his writing that he is mostly contend with current status quo, particularly because his confirmation bias (jumps to conclusions) seems to favor current standing instead of movement asking change.

Most typical foot soldier armament through history before mass adoption of gunpowder based weapons were spear, side sword and shield. Although halberds and similar two handed weapons replaced spear and shield as main weapon when heavier armors started to become regular occurrence in battle field. Sword was dominant choice for civilians as side arm, because fights where civilians need weapon were usually against unarmored opponents and side sword is convenient for civilians to carry and it is very effective against unarmored opponents.

But isn't half of gamergate opposition exactly against this?It seems to me that since journalists chose solidarity over competition then they would naturally reject any attempts of outside control. Self-regulating bodies aren't about competition but tool to keep hold on ethics even highly competitive environment. Current model for most of the publications is that it is for consumers and advertisers to decide if content is ethical enough for them. In self-regulation model there is body that customers and other publications can complain that one or more publications have broken ethical standards that members of that self-regulating body have promised to uphold and then that body checks if that is case and if they fine that publication has broken those standards it gives that publication fine and that publication has to print out article of the breach that it has done. In market regulating model there is no general ethical standards that publications have promised to hold, but instead it assumes that consumers will abandon those publications that don't follow ethical code that their consumers want them to follow and that advertisers go where consumers go. I don't have even tiniest clue what gaming press especially in US thinks about self-regulation model and consistent ethical standards for all the publications. But even though self-regulation model don't stop market regulation model from working as well, it don't stop many people especially members of press from thinking that all kinds of regulation of press is threat for freedom of press/speech, but I think Finnish self-regulation model works quite (but I am not member of press and I don't have close ties to any member of press so I can only judge from consumer's point of view) well and it has not stopped Finnish press' freedom to been ranked, by members of press, having highest levels of freedom of press in the World.

One possible way is to out voice harassers and to show public support for those that got harassed regardless of what you personally think about their views, instead using typical internet debate policy and claim that there is harasser in both sides. Because giving active support for those who oppose you both lessens impact that fundamentalists that languish in your cause have and it also make your arguments seem more reasonable to those that aren't part of the argument. Although it is often problematic to utilize such tactic in large scale in internet debates as participants don't usually are in connection with each other outside of debate threads and there usually aren't any clear leadership for participants, although this is unique to internet debates as many civil unrest movements also suffer from it like for example Occupy Wall Street and protests in Ferguson have shown.

Fundamentalists that use GG as their reason to harass and as way to spread their causes cause similar PR problems for GG than what individual journalist cause to gaming press as whole, especially when it looks for public eye that GG as whole don't intervene in such behavior or don't seem to actively trying to stop such behavior. Which I would guess make many see/feel that GG movement accept such behavior and therefore at least indirectly supports such behavior. And because people want to pigeonhole everything behind simple terms GG becomes anti-feminist/-equality/-acceptance movement in eyes of public that don't really care to take their time to get know what really drives most of the people in the movement. You can see similar generalizations happen all the time in issues where there are fundamentalists involved. So GG movement needs to do PR work and try to find ways to lessen voice of fundamentalists that use their cause if they don't want those previously mentioned traits to be associated with them. One thing that I would like to see in gaming press is that they would establish The Good Journalistic guidelines and found self-regulatory organ that would seek that press follows those guidelines. Similar model that for example Finnish and other Nordic countries presses use instead of purely market driven regulation, but as most of gaming press is US based I don't see that such thing could ever become industry wide thing, as US press is very vehemently against any sort regulation, even voluntary one done by press themselves.

If those encounters in Dyrford village, encounter with ogre and encounter with cultist leader give any inclination how encounters are designed in rest of the game then that is already the case. Addition Bestiary XP can cause light change to this as I don't think that there is, at least currently, peaceful way to fill your bestiary.

It seem that my twitter will be full of articles about this in coming days, so I decided that I will post every single one of them in here, just to share my pain Here perspective from one that says they are feminist and nerd and a game towards #Gamergate. Attitude is quite negative towards gamergate movement. http://feministing.com/2014/10/06/we-must-dissent-intel-bows-to-gamergate-campaign-to-silence-feminist-video-game-critics/#14126309037441&action=collapse_widget&id=3864697

It is rather great isn't it ? At least it is long. In previous thread there was demand for objectivity, so in that spirit I thought to link it here after I read it to give people here opportunity to have different view to subject so that they can maybe step one step closer to objective view about subject.

http://jonstonechannel2.tumblr.com/post/99246356388/why-bother-with-gamergate #Gamergate explained from point of view of its opposition.

Firstly, I think a lot of users don't actually read through the whole user policy, and that's why it's useful that this sort of thing is at least put up for discussion so people can be aware of it and form an opinion on it. What you say is true, and there are many reasons why it's handy for Microsoft to collect this data in order to optimise their software, and it's not necessarily a sign that Microsoft is wanting to spy on individual people. I think what it boils down to whether you trust Microsoft or not. Not just in the sense that they may use the collected data for the wrong purposes (well, they will search history for advertisements, but that is nothing new these days sadly), but also whether you trust them to be able to keep the collected data out of the hands of a third party. If you are willingly installing preview version (as product in question is technical preview of Windows 10, a version that is not meant for end user use, but check out and test features, which is why you need to register in MS insider program to get access to it) of their software on your computer, one would think that you have at least some sort of trust towards them. As general rule I would always recommend people to read contracts they sign, as they are legally binding in most of the cases even if you didn't read them.