metadigital

I couldn't agree more. Religion will muddy the waters in almost any discussion about ethics. At this point, any Lutheranisms are cultural rather than religious for me. I suppose if it were possible to go more the master-manipulator Sith route, I'd do it, but somehow, persuading people to jump to their deaths, or threatening them for credits just doesn't thrill. Until it's possible to roleplay a more subtle version of a Kreia type, I'll stick with the blue shininess. <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What you need is a sexy prop for the story; have some very charismatic female (I'm making the outrageous assumption that all your players are male), visit the group as the physical embodiment of the new character, tell them all to keep in character ... take note of their behaviours, and ... use it to maim them painfully later. ( ) Guys are so easy to distract. :D I like the Pandora's Box scenario as well, especially if in hindsight it was an obviously dumb thing to do, but at the time it seems perfectly reasonable. Like walking into a room that appears to be a cosy eat-in kitchen in front of a warm fire, with the pretty cook standing by the cauldron ... it's only mindly strange when she doesn't greet them at the door, as is customary, but when she asks them to take a seat in the corner of the room, just pass some very intricate, escoteric and interesting carvings on the wall ...

Not at all.

Agree with posters above. Literacy and numeracy are primary. You will be required to communicate with peers, superiors (and eventually) subordinates in a clear and concise manner; normally conveying complex and sometimes intangible ideas using only the gifts granted to you for speech and presentation. Graphics design is arguably the hardest computational work you can perfrom; it is not easy, so it takes a lot of work. (Most people believe that the more of oneself put into a passtime, the more one will gain from it.) If you do choose programming (and if you are artisitcally gifted, then you will be a rare talent indeed), I can recommend Design Patterns, even if you decide not to learn C/C++. The authors are collectively known as the "Gang of Four", and any of their work is always received warmly. Good luck; I wish I knew what I wanted to be when I grow up.

I think you're all misunderestimating Dubya.

Maybe it is a more conducive environment for these films to be made? I don't know, I've never made a film in Japan, but I know there are some pretty sick internet sites that host all sorts of perversity, and they aren't Japanese, they're West European.

Windows != C++ Assembler is not useful by itself today for a programmer. However it is essential to know the basics of computer organisation, and at least to know how processor instructions (hence assembly) work. See my answer on Java and C/C++ in the other thread. Shell scripting is mostly system administrator's tools, you can't make more or less functional software in it. Demand is only for J2EE prigrammers. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Decompile some Windows and then tell me it isn't C/C++. It is obvious in the pattern of memory allocation and general architecture that it is compiled C/C++. (I'm sure some clever programmers have written some low level assembler for some of the drivers, though I haven't seen any evidence with my own eyes.) Demand for C/C++/C#/Java (all versions, including Enterprise Edition) is high generally. You certainly will be helped with a C family language on your curriculum vitae; there will be no penalty. Shell scripting is useful for whatever OS you are using. I have written many in DOS (and still do occassionally for Windows), VAX/VMS, and various Unix flavours. They are a useful skill (and virtually no weight in the programmers toolkit of one's brain), which is why I mentioned it. See my response to yours, in the other thread.

Java and C++ are completely different: - C++ is a language, Java is a technology - Even as languages they are quite different - C++ compiled code is native to (and hence tied to) operating system and architecture, Java compiled code is only executed on JVM. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> And your point is? They are actually very very similar languages. The original poster was asking what languages are the future. You are nit picking obscure differences that make no significant impact on the languages. Java needs a Java Virtual Machine to run. So? How is that different from an uncompiled C code needing a compiler to run? To make the point, I am sure the environment is not something the programmer is going to have to create: it will be a matter of adapting one's programming skills to whatever project one is asked to do. So, C, C++, C# and Java are all the same family. They are as close as they can be to identical; except most programmers have a large problem with pointers, so Sun removed all mention of them in Java (allegedly). Windows DLLs are compiled :D. They are not "C++". Most of them however (as most of Windows code) were written in C. I suppose you mean that Windows development tools come with libraries and C headers (which is needed only for low-level or system programming) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> C/C++, whatever. C++ is a superset of C, with Classes. Java is just ++C-- (add classes to C, take away pointers). The default compiler (I think you meant that) that comes with many Unix operating sytems is C compiler. Fore example in GCC, C is main and C++ is optional component. And it is library headers and not compiler that can be described as using some language. In case of Unix (GNU/Linux to be exact), compilers are GCC , and libraries are GLibC. In case of Windows they are shipped together with MS Visual Studio. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I still don't know why you are posting this, except to point out your own grasp of programming language trivia. I'm surpirsed you didn't go into the gazillion different flavours of Unix, too. BASIC, now almost fifty years old, is still being used. It has been adapted into JavaScript, too, for instance, as well as innumerable adaptations into various proprietary scripting languages. I also note that CoBOL (COmmon Business Oriented Language) is still implemented on huge legacy systems, and because there are very few CoBOL programmers, the demand is high, but I would never wish that language on anyone (ugh! position-sensitive semantics). The point I was making, since you seemed to miss it, is that learning C is a good thing, because it will provide an entry point inot all the programming in demand (like Java 2 Enterprise Edition). Don't forget to read some of the texts by the Gang of Four.

pretty much...also the bit about losing Vitality with DIRECT DAMAGE attacks. what do you think about that? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I don't see the long-term (or short-term, for that matter) penalties for being Dark Side in your summary. I would expect the DS to be a brilliant short-term tactic, granting all sorts of battle advantages, but have some sort of cumulative effect; perhaps permantently losing a small amount of vitality points (or fractions of Constitution) every battle? This might be counteracted by having a DS power to boost vitality with Force points, at a minimal -- but proportional -- cost. E.g. Permanently lose 2vp every battle where a DS power is used (whether the Force User is Light or Dark). But, have a Force Power that can add the lost vitality (for 240 seconds, or a typical battle length) by taking an equivalent amount of Force points. This would help to manifest the entropy of the spirit that the Dark Side leeches from the body. It would explain why a dead DS FS is destroyed and doesn't become a blue ghost. (Perhaps Anakin in RotJ might be explained by Luke sacrificing some of his Force points to help redeem his father.) Otherwise the pallid skin and zombie features of the DS are just cosmetic.

No. Get over it. And do a search before starting ANOTHER thread like five hundred previous ones.

Not really a good example. Dead DS disintergrate: remember Obi-Wan's final words to Darth Vader (and if you have the super-duper latest DVD Special Edition, the earlier deleted dialogue goes further than just stating that the LS are happy campers, the DS are "destroyed utterly", I think his words are.) Even if we stretch to include the KotOR game as acceptable, Ajunta Pall was bound to his tomb, so not much use for a PC to be stuck haunting a particular piece of furniture. And my third point still stands: why?

What everyone else has said. Plus: - C# is proprietary Micro$oft. It is basically (Sun) Java. And Java is basically C++ without pointers. - .NET is not a complete suite of anything as yet. It is a MS marketing initiative. (They even had a .NET version of Office, until it was pulled on acount of "WTF?".) - C++ is universal. Windows DLLs are C++. The default, shipped language compiled with Unix is C++. - Read the Gang of Four: "Design Patterns" is the definitive work on OOP (the GoF is: Erich Gamma, Richard Helm, Ralph Johnson, John Vlissides: any literature written by these people is highly recommended).

It sounds like the pay isn't the problem. It sounds like you might need to re-assess your work-life balance. (How much is the extra cash really worth to you? Maybe dropping a few hours and a few grand might give you some better quality of life with your family: if not immediately, then when the baby comes, for sure.) If that is a problem for your current employer, I'd update my cv (which it always should be anyway) and start making discreet calls to the competition and any other companies that might be of interest ...

Java is C++ without the pointers. C# is Microsoft's version of Java. BASIC is the same language that has been around for thirty+ years, whether it's .NET, Visual or just some sort of generic script. If you are using a Unix flavour (C is the compiled language for Unix), then Shell scripting is very useful. Perl is useful. Assembler is useful, because as fast as the C family is, it is useful to be able to examine your compiled code and edit some of the junk out. (But not necessary; the Windows OS is written mainly in C++. You can see the compiled blocks.) I agree taking some advanced maths is a good idea: any graphical programming will be using advanced maths like vectors and such; any knowledge will help you greatly -- if that's your area of interest. You need to decide what you want to do for more specific advice. There currently is not enough supply for the Java programmer demand. HTH

I am sure all our thoughts are with you. It's a pity you won't be able to use the practical surrealist adventures with Sune as direct neural input whilst on secondment far away from home ... You'll have to make up some seriously off-the-wall antics to replace that sort of wetware hyper-threading. Maybe one of your fist assignments will be to play KotOR:TSL and give an honest appraisal of the various aspects: plot, characters, dialogue, scripts, environments, pacing, bugs ... " Go for GOLD! (The buoy was a good omen, I think!)

Not a big fan, then? "

They'd need more development time. " Still Dragon Age has about half-a-dozen starting characters with detailed back stories and entry points, from elven Princelings and dwarves to humans orphan barbarians. I don't see it being that difficult. In fact, one the engine is done, I can't imagine the actual world map making and population being overly difficult. I would have been happy with the exact K1 engine and more worlds (even the same ones with different areas to explore) and more people to interact with. *Sigh*

I think Aurora will be sure to give Atton the fan-girl treatment due to him ...

Prefer the real breasts of the Sun, Lauchie?

And that Anne Robinson is very scary. Enough to make you hide behind the sofa. :ph34r:

Yes it does hold up. If you want to play that sort of game, then I think it's better you explore such urges in virtual space rather than in RL. Personally, I wouldn't be raping and torturing children, under normal gaming conditions. If the Role Play required it as something integral to the plot, I would assess it on merit, on a case by case basis. If it was just for sensationalism to sell the game, and was no more integral to the plot than whether the sky was blue or cloudy, then I would not be interested. Not because it would "morally scar" me, just because it would be tedious. Because it is just a game.

Ditto.

No, it sounds completely impractical. For a start, only LS can be Force Ghosts. Secondly, they don't hang around and chat, there is an obvious limit to their appearances (as they are very brief and infrequent in the movies). They certainly wouldn't be around for long enough to engage in combat. And as they are all the same alignment, it would be very odd if one of them started attacking one or more of the others. Also, they are most probably totally immune to all but the most potent of Force Drain powers, anyway. Finally, and this is crucial: I don't see the point, from a game play point of view.

I don't play DS much, but mainly because it's just not interesting. There are no ethical dilemmas when you don't care about anything except number one. It's just: can I kill it? can it kill me? can I >mate< with it? Especially in the KotOR games, they are the epitamy of brute thuggish DS, no subtlety, no carefully crafted manipulations to bring some complex plan to fruition, just kicking dogs and children. Meh.