Annoying Questions I'd Like Answered...

Chamomile · Post by **Chamomile** » Sun Nov 27, 2011 10:07 pm

It makes me sad that my fighters and my thief are going to be pretty much useless by the end of Azure Bonds, and I'll probably be better off replacing them outright by the time Silver Blades rolls around.

I really hate Hillsfar. So much I hate this game. I wanted to like it. I thought it'd be a fun little interlude where I could spend some time thinking only about individual characters, which would be nice because I tend to build up personal motivations and personalities around characters I design myself, and having to run six at once kind of made it hard to do that on auto-pilot like I usually do. Plus, some of them probably aren't coming back for Azure Bonds (my thief ended up being halfway useless and I probably won't need both fighters now that my clerics and magic users are already at god of death levels) and it'd be nice to give them some kind of send-off adventure.

But the game just sucks too much. I'm about halfway through the Thief quests and I just can't finish them. Lockpicking is terrible, the exploration mini-game was only fun when it was easy, the horse-riding mini-game is just dull, and the arena mini-game might be fine but I can't seem to figure it out at all (continuing SSI's traditional "explain nothing and provide an incomplete manual" strategy). It really makes me sad how much Hillsfar sucks. Fortunately, the credits are at the beginning, so I've decided to kill the entire Hillsfar production team. Best part is there's only, like, twelve of them.

Neeeek · Post by **Neeeek** » Mon Nov 28, 2011 4:57 am

Chamomile wrote:You were right on average. My level 7 Fighters just started making 3 attacks per 2 rounds.

Another question, how much does silver do against undead? Would it be wiser to use silver weapons as opposed to the +2/3 magic weapons I use by default?

No. A silver weapon is effectively a +0 magic weapon. Anything better is just better.

Maj · Post by **Maj** » Tue Nov 29, 2011 3:31 pm

How is anyone [with an American keyboard] supposed to solve a captcha involving Greek characters like delta and gamma? That's messed up.

virgil · Post by **virgil** » Tue Nov 29, 2011 4:00 pm

There are numerical codes that make the symbols. I find it quicker to copy-paste it from a text page out of Google.

ADDENDUM: ALT+228 will give you Σ (hold down Alt, type 228, then release)

Chamomile · Post by **Chamomile** » Tue Nov 29, 2011 8:10 pm

The idea behind Captcha is that there are words in texts being automatically transcribed that cannot be read by the computer, right? So by making them into Captchas, we help upload books into cyberspace while at the same time proving we're not bots and the world is a better place.

Except, if the computer can't read those words in the first place, and if we're the ones translating them in the first place...Then how can the computer tell if we get them wrong?

virgil · Post by **virgil** » Tue Nov 29, 2011 9:07 pm

From what I recall, they don't require the entire CAPTCHA to be correct (mix the letters), and some of the letters are already known as right answers. To the answer database, they'll accept ABC_D, with the blank being whatever you type. That "_" will show up in a collection of CAPTCHAs in varying positions, and they'll figure out what it is by averages; so after sufficient uses of the mystery letter, the majority of people type "H" for the blank, then it will be logged in as that letter.

A Man In Black · Post by **A Man In Black** » Wed Nov 30, 2011 3:21 am

Maj wrote:How is anyone [with an American keyboard] supposed to solve a captcha involving Greek characters like delta and gamma? That's messed up.

If it's reCaptcha, only one of the words is actually a captcha. The other word is actually you doing free OCR work for them. In fact, frequently you'll get one nonsense word (which is likely the captcha), and one block of non-letter garbage. So if you get a word with non-standard symbols or completely illegible symbols, type literally anything for that word, and make sure you get the other word correct, and you'll be fine.

So, for example, if I got this:

An acceptable answer would be "yex. licyourn". Or "- licyourn". Or "buttmonkeys licyourn". Whatever makes you happy.

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Wed Nov 30, 2011 4:29 am

Why does the idea that it's perfectly ok to fuck an artist who is working quite hard, contrary to belief, persist? Would you go to a restaurant and say "Hey, I can't pay you for the burger today, but if I like it, I'll be sure to come back again," would you? No. So why the fuck do people think you can pull that shit with an artist?

Chamomile · Post by **Chamomile** » Wed Nov 30, 2011 5:37 am

Because the artist will do it.

Avoraciopoctules · Post by **Avoraciopoctules** » Wed Nov 30, 2011 6:04 am

Because even if a particular artist won't do it, finding one who will isn't hard.

Also, because art is a lot easier to picture one doing oneself than programming. Something that seems like magic to someone with no background in the subject is more likely to be respected as a skill.

Cynic · Post by **Cynic** » Thu Dec 01, 2011 6:02 pm

So my sister is visiting America. When she goes back to India she wants to take back a certain Ipod & Golf ball crusher.

Apparently because of the voltage fluctuations and the daily blackouts, inverters burn out pretty quickly. Is there any other way to have the machine work in India? So basically to convert from AC to DC.

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Thu Dec 01, 2011 7:46 pm

There is, but it's boot strapping the country to have a better power grid.

Chamomile · Post by **Chamomile** » Thu Dec 01, 2011 9:43 pm

There's an app for that. Feeding the iPhone into a blender was maybe not your best idea, given that.

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Sat Dec 17, 2011 12:05 am

So, I'm reading through some changeling stuff, and I just have to wonder: How the hell did Changeling, the game of "Dare to dream, and be wondrous*" come from the same company as Werewolf, Vampire, etc., games of "the world is coming to an end, you're an inhuman monster, and even your terrible power can't save the world, but merely doom it faster"?

*"do the impossible, see the invisible, rah, rah, fight the powah!" comes to mind...

Avoraciopoctules · Post by **Avoraciopoctules** » Sat Dec 17, 2011 12:45 am

http://www.somethingawful.com/d/dungeon ... e-wolf.php

I have no difficulty believing that White Wolf is responsible for this.

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Sat Dec 17, 2011 11:33 pm

So, reading more WoD stuff, because I'm hoping that it will once again serve to get me in bed with a cute gothy chick. Specifically larp.

Why the fuck is it cheaper for a vampire to heal lethal damage (2dam/blood point) than bashing (1/1)?

Koumei · Post by **Koumei** » Sun Dec 18, 2011 1:12 am

...I thought it was 1 Blood Point to heal all bashing damage? So, whether you have 1 bashing or 7, you spend a single blood point and then you're fine.

Also, the best WW game is Street Fighter. Prove me wrong. :3c

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Sun Dec 18, 2011 1:47 am

Nope, the Laws of the Night book says one blood trait heals one health level of bashing, or two level of lethal.

Also, can you sell ponies to other characters and then use your "induce schizophrenia" power to make those characters see an actual pony after giving you $5 to go away in Street Fighter? Because I'm totally going to do that with a Malk. Nothing should frighten vampires more than an inescapable Pinkie Pie.

Koumei · Post by **Koumei** » Fri Dec 23, 2011 5:06 am

...I don't think you can do that. I was just shilling for the SF game in general, because the art is hilarious(ly bad), and as for "Racism in WW books", it probably rates second behind the Gypsy one.

Anyway, some questions for sciencey people/Ant:

1. My diet seems to be going well, results-wise. In the first week I lost 1.9kg and 1cm off my waist. This is good, because I am impatient, and wouldn't stick with something that didn't have fast results. If I could go through a "two seconds of the most intense pain in the world, and then you're all fine and below average weight" I'd pick that option.

But someone warned that that is unhealthy, and a "crash diet". It isn't just me starving myself, it's a proper program (that also works out a lot cheaper than eating normally) with meal replacement shakes and the like, and with a lot of "when you get hungry, eat one of these things as a snack" to encourage eating of healthier things in general so that, when I am at the weight I want (slightly under average, to allow me to bulk up with a little muscle/just make up for the general fatness of the country) and stop the weight loss program, I don't rush back to crisps and biscuits and chocolate-coated chocolate.

Is this a "crash diet"? Is there any actual danger to my health?

2. This is the first time I've really gone and started losing weight. I used to be slender and graceful skinny and bony, and then over the past few years gained weight. So, this being the first time, can I expect my boobs to shrink a fair amount? Will I be seeing my feet again?

3. Does the law of conservation and mass and energy apply to humans? Specifically, something tells me that if I hold a 17g pixistix, I should weigh the same as if I consume it - the maximum I could possibly gain would be 17g. But that implies I could have 100 pixistix a week and still lose weight on this diet. As it's 100% sugar, a simple carb, that means it will convert into 68KCal, which works out to ~286KJl, which would then convert into ATP and whatever I don't spend would be stored as fat.

Am I missing something and it will get stored as more than 17g? Or have I actually found a cheat code of sorts that allows me to do the equivalent of mainlining sugar?

(Yes, I have learned I am addicted to sugar. I gave up Coca Cola by using Codeine, I'd rather not have to stay up to my eyeballs on narcotics just for the sugar withdrawal.)

Quantumboost · Post by **Quantumboost** » Fri Dec 23, 2011 6:48 am

@3: Conservation of energy always applies. Unfortunately, the body is a really complicated machine and I suspect that part of some diets is to make parts of what the body does less efficient (and thus use up more energy). If that's the case with yours, eating lots of pixistix could possibly change the dynamics so that you're using energy more efficiently and have more left over. Figuring out whether that's the case with your particular diet would involve knowledge of nutrition, biology, and that diet that I'm not even close to having a fucking clue about.

Cynic · Post by **Cynic** » Fri Dec 30, 2011 2:26 am

So, I'm going to try to read DC events from 52 on down to present.

Does anyone know of a decent chronology online?

Count Arioch the 28th · Tue Jan 03, 2012 5:40 am

Any Norsk speakers on the boards?

If so, what is the plural of Hestkuk?

Koumei · Post by **Koumei** » Tue Jan 03, 2012 6:15 am

It's one of these three:
[*]Hestkuker (from gf, who can speak Norsk amongst many others)
[*]Hestkukkar (from Danish friend who understands most of it)
[*]Hestkukke (ditto)

So chances are it's the first one, or possibly the second (which looks similar).

"You do know that means horsedick, right?"

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Tue Jan 03, 2012 6:52 am

Why am I not surprised to see someone asking for the plural of horsedick in another language here?

Koumei, is said girlfriend the acquaintance you last asked about?

Koumei · Post by **Koumei** » Tue Jan 03, 2012 7:45 am

No, my girlfriend lives in Svenska, part of my reason for wanting to go there.

The acquaintance, we're just friends (as of the NY party, we're comfortably friends, and in the "casual boob-fondling" zone) who happen to have had sex the first time we met. And it's not ruled out for future cases either.

Yes, my girlfriend has given me permission told me to go do these things, for increasing experience and happiness. Because despite doing my best to come across as a sex-fiend devil-whore slut-monster, that was actually my first time~

Also, taking bets on Count wanting to tell a Norwegian to go suck a barrel of horse cocks?