The Gaming Den

Posted: **Fri Sep 30, 2011 3:50 pm**

RobbyPants wrote:Ant, with the weekend coming up, I have to ask: do you ever get time off from your duties? You know; for the good of the colony?

If so, what do ants do on their time off?

I get ~250 breaks per day, each lasting about a minute (we have no watches), which I spend resting to restore my energy; for the good of the colony. Also, during the coldest part of the year, I enter a prolonged hibernative state to save energy; for the good of the colony.

While resting, I compose art that expresses my devotion to the colony: percussive music, interpretive dance, scent-patterns; but I do not perform these, they remain a private entertainment.

Posted: **Fri Sep 30, 2011 5:03 pm**

You don't think the colony could benefit from such performances?

Posted: **Sat Oct 01, 2011 3:03 am**

I imagine Ant has not received instructions to perform them, and instead dutifully goes about his previously assigned tasks, for the good of the colony.

Posted: **Sat Oct 01, 2011 3:24 am**

I think you're supposed to use a semicolon; for the good of the colony.

Posted: **Sat Oct 01, 2011 5:37 am**

Actually you're not.

There shouldn't really be any punctuation between "...perform them" and "and instead..." because the latter is not a grammatical clause: it is lacking in a subject. This makes it a compound sentence.

The comma between "tasks" and "for the good" is correct in its placement, because the latter is an additional clause describing the previous sentence. Only complete sentences are separated by semicolons.

So suck it.

Posted: **Sat Oct 01, 2011 3:26 pm**

Ant always uses a semicolon.

Posted: **Sun Oct 02, 2011 1:26 am**

"...semicolon; for the good of the colony."

Posted: **Sun Oct 09, 2011 12:49 pm**

Ant, what are your thoughts on magnifying glass control?

Posted: **Sun Oct 09, 2011 2:19 pm**

Shadow Balls wrote:Ant, what are your thoughts on magnifying glass control?

Annual magnifying glass casualties are statistically insignificant. Every iota of attention paid to magnifying glass control is an abhorrent diversion. We need to focus on real problems like pesticide proliferation and finding a cure for Cordyceps; for the good of the colony.

Posted: **Sun Oct 09, 2011 2:30 pm**

Ant wrote:
Shadow Balls wrote:Ant, what are your thoughts on magnifying glass control?
Annual magnifying glass casualties are statistically insignificant. Every iota of attention paid to magnifying glass control is an abhorrent diversion. We need to focus on real problems like pesticide proliferation and finding a cure for Cordyceps; for the good of the colony.

It is good to see that you have your priorities in order. But what about such things as deliberate fires? Surely the colony must think something of those deliberately targeting it?

Posted: **Sun Oct 09, 2011 2:51 pm**

Ant, which species of your fellow ants would you recommend as being the best for humans to eat? (Obviously, your colony would not benefit from being selected for this, so I would not ask you to nominate it, but I understand your colony is completely unaffected by the survival of other colonies.)

Posted: **Sun Oct 09, 2011 3:28 pm**

Unless Ant is an Argentine ant.

Which brings me to my question: what species of ant are you, Ant?

Posted: **Sun Oct 09, 2011 3:59 pm**

Koumei wrote:Ant, which species of your fellow ants would you recommend as being the best for humans to eat?

The Australian Sugar Ant.

Darth Rabbitt wrote:Which brings me to my question: what species of ant are you, Ant?

I don't know, I'm not an entomologist.

Posted: **Wed Oct 12, 2011 7:54 am**

Ant, is shooting yourself in the teeth is a wise course of action or not?

Posted: **Wed Oct 12, 2011 12:07 pm**

Draco_Argentum wrote:Ant, is shooting yourself in the teeth is a wise course of action or not?

You could save yourself and ant a lot of time if before asking, you consider whether or not such an action is good for the colony.

Just saying, you know; for the good of the colony.

Posted: **Wed Oct 12, 2011 1:59 pm**

Draco_Argentum wrote:Ant, is shooting yourself in the teeth is a wise course of action or not?

It could be wise, but only in a minimal sense. If you believe that you are contributing less than you are consuming, suicide is a rational option; for the good of the colony. However, while shooting yourself in the teeth has a good chance of leading to your death, it seems inefficient, and if it fails to kill you instantly, your colony may expend further resources tending you. If you find yourself in such a position, aim for the brain, not the teeth; for the good of the colony.

Posted: **Thu Oct 13, 2011 11:51 am**

Ant, what colors are best for interior walls?

Posted: **Thu Oct 13, 2011 11:58 am**

The colors of the building materials. You should not waste effort on pointless aesthetics; for the good of the colony.

Posted: **Thu Oct 13, 2011 12:42 pm**

Shadow Balls wrote:It is good to see that you have your priorities in order. But what about such things as deliberate fires? Surely the colony must think something of those deliberately targeting it?

Posted: **Thu Oct 13, 2011 12:55 pm**

Ms. Ant, when the robot apocalypse comes and wipes out all of the humans, what is your contingency plan when they decide that insects must be purged from Neo-Robo Urth2099 as well? After all, bugs are the biggest source of consternation to computers.

Posted: **Sat Oct 15, 2011 1:14 pm**

Hey Ant, what do you think about Inferno?

He seems like a good role model; he extols loyalty to the colony, and he doesn't afraid of anyone.

Posted: **Sun Oct 16, 2011 4:37 pm**

Lago PARANOIA wrote:Ms. Ant, when the robot apocalypse comes and wipes out all of the humans, what is your contingency plan when they decide that insects must be purged from Neo-Robo Urth2099 as well?

While I shall not live nearly long enough to participate, I believe that the contingency plan for any such eventuality is the same as the general plan: the following of instincts as shaped by scent triggers.

Darth Rabbitt wrote:Hey Ant, what do you think about Inferno?

Inferno is insufficiently concerned with pro-colonial activity for my tastes. The enthusiasm for violence is a dreadful dilution of focus. In any case it seems to me that any individual can be only an insufficient role model at best, and that only a colony entire can be a proper exemplar.

Posted: **Sun Nov 20, 2011 1:05 am**

Hey, Ant, what is your opinion on 4th Edition Dungeon and Dragon's Wealth By Level system?

Posted: **Sun Nov 20, 2011 3:07 am**

Lago PARANOIA wrote:Hey, Ant, what is your opinion on 4th Edition Dungeon and Dragon's Wealth By Level system?

It is not very good.

Posted: **Sun Nov 20, 2011 3:21 am**

Come to think of it, you're a better judge of these things than individual people with their conflicting thoughts. What's your idea on the ideal way for handling treasure/magic items/equipment, and how people get stuff, in games?

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