Best posts made by Ganymede

@insomniac7809 said in Diversity Representation in MU*ing:

The short version is, these days we're all white, but back when we really weren't. The diaspora communities in the United States have formed their own unique identities over the last century or so over waves of immigration, even if the communities of European descent are becoming less of a distinct identifier as the cultural identity is absorbed into generically "white." Which, yes, often means that celebration of whatever heritage just turns into a drinking holiday in ethnic drag.

Well, you have to find culture that you can hold onto when you haven't any of your own.

@derp said in Real World Peeves, Disgruntlement, and Irks.:

I don't disagree. But setting the bar high enough to refuse most comers ensures that most of the apartments are vacant and ready to get new paint/carpet/whatever.

You can refuse to lease if you intend to renovate. So simply deny renewal and do your upgrades. Coming up with paper-thin excuses is a good way to get your ass handed over to the local fair housing agency.

@Ominous

“We don’t know what Cincinnatians are trying to be, but Nick Lachey hails from there.”

— Daytonian.

@macha

Good.

@surreality said in Diversity Representation in MU*ing:

The husband was genuinely stunned over the past few months at home re: just how much meat I have to eat to not be constantly asleep and sick as a dog.

I need meat to live. It's really that simple.

But I thrive on anguish.

@macha said in The ADD/ADHD Thread (cont'd from Peeves):

I thought there was just something /wrong/ with me.

The Wisdom of She-Ra:

Sea Hawk: I mean, just once I'd like to hang out with Mermista and her friends. I'm good at groups! I have excellent stories of derring-do! Why don't they want me around? [rests head on hand]

Scorpia: [sighs] Oh, I hear ya. Catra's been so busy since she got promoted, but she still always expects me to make time for her. Does she even understand how much I do for her?!

Sea Hawk: Exactly! It seems like ... the only time anyone wants to hang is when they need me to give them a ride, or do something for them.

Scorpia: [groans] Ugh, tell me about it. Catra once used my rock hard exoskeleton as a nail file. [voice cracking] I even had to buff!

[Sea Hawk begins to laugh slowly, then more vigorously, and Scorpia laughs, too]

Scorpia: [sincerely] Is there...something wrong with us?

Adora: [slowly, slightly slurring] You know ... you guys are really great. You're just, like, the best. You're good friends, and good people. [slaps her arm around Scorpia's shoulder; squeakily chuckling] And I like you ... you are so pointy! [taps at Scorpia's shoulder spikes]

Sea Hawk: You know what? She's right. We are really great. [confidently] I'm clever, roguishly good-looking, and a top-notch sailor. [hops onto a container] I don't care if anyone else thinks I'm cool. I don't need their opinions to validate me. [shouts] I'm Sea Hawk!

Scorpia: [confidently] And me? I am brave, strong, [hugs Adora, still attached to her shoulder] give great hugs, and I'm loyal. [sits Adora down; to Adora] You may have left Catra, but someday, she's gonna see that I won't. [grows in volume] I'll always be there for her, because that's who I am!

Adora: [claps enthusiastically; happily] Yayyy!

(My point: there's nothing wrong with any of you.)

@Miss-Demeanor said:

By insisting on making everything 'equal', you're actually telling the people that put in the time and effort since the beginning that they're LESS valuable than the person just stepping in the door. Because that person can simply buy the dots and ruin your work.

This is not an argument for or against XP caps. This is about staff policy regarding what you can and cannot purchase without effort. If you force one player to do eleventy-billion PrPs to get Status 4 (MU* Nerds), then a person that wants to get the same should also have to go through the same labor.

I never said anything about making things equal. I'm simply tearing at the flimsy, arbitrary reasons why we explain away policies aimed to maintain a benefit enjoyed only by pre-existing players. Once we all come to terms with the fact that it all such reasoning is hokum, then maybe we'll start thinking about adopting different, potentially-better oplicies.

@sunny

It is.

Like, it brings me to tears thinking about it.

It’s worth the 52 episode investment, even knowing the ending.

@Auspice said in Diversity Representation in MU*ing:

Yes.
I have absolutely seen this before. Personally I've seen it more between hetero couples on games than gay couples.

Disturbingly, while I've seen it more often with hetero couples, if the couple is homosexual they will more likely be female.

It pisses the hell out of me.

@too-old-for-this

There’s a reason why about half of lawyers practicing are textbook cases of ADHD. And that’s because it’s hardly ever truly repetitive.

@HelloProject said in Diversity Representation in MU*ing:

Like, so far I keep hearing all of these anecdotes about how the SJW staff came at the poor innocent people playing a POC, but I haven't seen a single receipt, log of the character being played, MU* name, or hell even a goddamned app to let people take a look at anything. It's just people saying shit in the midst of making what sounds a hell of a lot like a bad faith argument.

I'm not saying that TheBigD was arguing in good faith, but I will say that I have been come at about a "non-representational" representation of a POC before, which was sort of funny because the character was Chinese.

It was many moons ago, but I remember because I just logged out.

@elspethne

I feel a lot of this.

I treasure those commutes now.

Also, I drive about aimlessly at times.

@HelloProject said in Diversity Representation in MU*ing:

Like, every time someone comes at this thread with aggression, they always tackle the same basic topics with the same level of aggression or outrage or whatever, and act as if every person who isn't a POC or LGBTQ or whatever would be helpless against the SJW scum. But their arguments are completely invalidated by the fact that the vast majority of the people in this thread are white and aren't acting as if the world is on fire, so why are these few people choosing to come in here doing so as if everyone who isn't acting like a whole ass is the one who is insane?

Isn't the real question: why are you engaging with the person who seems insane to you?

Today began with a heap of shit.

My partner's car refused to start. We thought it was the battery. It took me 10 minutes to find the cables that were supposed to be in the trunk of my car. Jumping did nothing, but the battery on my car was heavily corroded. I let my partner take my car, and I took the company vehicle to work.

At work, I spilled coffee on my papers. Twice. And I drink out of tall, 20 oz. cups. My office smells lovely, but the papers on my desk are fucking destroyed.

Went back home to work from there because fuck you world and fuck you lack of dexterity this morning. Tried to jump the partner's car with my company car, but no luck. Went to get a new battery, installed it, and -- fucking nothing. And this is a fucking Nissan Rogue, where the spark plugs are buried so deep in the engine that Ron Jeremy could fuck the shit out of it without getting his dick burned.

In frustration, I just cranked the motherfucking key in ignition and --

VROOM.

The car starts up. Like, for no fucking reason. Maybe it was the battery? Maybe not. Or maybe, just maybe, the fucking world decided to bang me in the ass for having the luck to come out on top of a House Valardin jousting tourney.

Ah well, this is me now.

@silverfox said in MU Things I Love:

Ironwool bathing suit

That would explain what I was smelling.

@rinel

I am unbelievably saddened by this, but I understand. If there's some way I could help, please advise me.

Just a reminder: this is not a thread to discuss a particular game. This thread exists to discuss diversity representation on games.

I have the feeling that this discussion is done to death at this point, but there are some questions about terms used, such as TERF. So I’m going to leave it open for now.

Please keep things on target. And please do not make me work and do my job.

Everything being described sounds adorably intolerable to me.

Motherfuckers, I have kids, all right.

@Glitch

I propose a "potential" system, which reverses what we mostly use. Whereas one earns and spends XP gained, I propose that each advancement adds to the XP of a PC, which is capped at a certain number. Further, a player can boost their PC's stats out of chargen immediately up to the cap. This allows players to create the PCs they want, for the most part, within a certain "potential" for growth.

Example: Suppose the cap is 200 XP. Player A can create a PC and add up to 200 XP of stats if they want to; however, that PC can no longer advance any stat. Meanwhile, Player B can create a PC and add only 35 XP of stats to round her out. Here, A and B get what they want coming out of chargen.

The system should include two features: (1) minimal justification discounts; and (2) timed spends. For a nWoD game, I would propose that a properly-justified spend be discounted by 10 percent of their total cost. The impact of this is balanced out by the fact that PCs can only advance their stats over time. For the same variety of game, I would propose a delay of 1 day per dot of the advanced stat.

Example: Using the example above, and presuming we are on an nWoD GMC game, Player B wants to raise her PC's Strength from 2 to 3. This normally costs 4 XP. If justified, the PC would add 3.6 XP to their total, and would have to wait 3 days from the date of the request until completion.

If the cap is later moved, then older PCs that have met the cap may now advance further. Newer PCs may start at the higher cap, but obviously cannot take advantage of any justification discounts. Still, the disparity between new and old PCs should be small.

The system meets many objections:

1. The system is neither a flat-rate or activity-based, and is essentially static.
2. New PCs are not at a substantial disadvantage, but can still compete with older PCs.
3. Advanced PCs enjoy an initial statistical advantage over novice PCs.
4. Novice PCs enjoy a long-run advantage over advanced PCs.
5. Losing a PC doesn't hurt as much, and there's no XP rollover issues.

@sunny said in How are you coping with COVID (and other 2020 fun)?:

-- apparently somehow nuked a friendship today by being snarky on accident.

I hope your friend understands the stress that you're under and just needs a short break.

Because my opinion is that friendships do not get nuked by accident; someone ends it by calculation.