@arkandel said in The Basketball Thread:
IMHO he'll go to the Lakers if anywhere.
That's a pretty good bet, but he'd be an excellent fit in Toronto, with its deep lineup, offensive-defensive guards, and an entire fucking country rooting for him.
But, it's also Toronto, so.
@arkandel said in The Basketball Thread:
The Lakers are very well positioned to take advantage of the new NBA economy; other than Deng they have no bad contracts, and with enough room in the salary cap to max two more players, three promising young stars on rookie contracts (Ingram, Ball, Kuzma, with Randle needing to either get paid or let go this summer) and a huge market to attract free agents... they'll be just fine.
Sure, this may be the case. You and I differ on whether Ball is "promising." .
The Lakers are a great market, but they are going to whiff in the free market this year, unless they miraculously attract James. The problem with that theory is that James needs to go to a place where he is essentially in control, and that's not going to happen with Magic Johnson on top or Luke Walton as coach. The Lakers would be wise to extend a mid-range offer to keep Thomas around, and spend wisely to increase their depth.
Otherwise I'd put my money in either Philly or Boston to emerge as a defacto contender over the next five years.
Philly looks great on paper, and is finally starting to come together, but when payday comes -- and it will come -- the 76ers need to be careful in who they keep as their core. If they were wise, they would ready themselves to shed one of their potential superstars in order to get picks for the future.
Boston isn't a team that I trust to keep it together. I know that Hayward going down changed the entire season, but Irving has shown time and time again that he can't stay healthy. They look like Derrick Rose's Bulls, to be frank: pretty damn good, but crippled by a superstar that just can't stay on the roster when they need him (like the playoffs).
@auspice said in Good or New Movies Review:
I feel like Ehrenreich didn't even try. He's just playing 'random 'cool kid from the wrong side of the tracks' #15.'
I got the complete opposite feel, if I may be honest.
I see it. I hear it. I'm not going to judge based on the trailer, because it seems pretty clear to me that Lando and Chewie are going to steal the movie while I stare longingly at Emilia Clarke.
@auspice said in RL things I love:
Oh, yes, Adam Driver is p. great.
He really does make Logan Lucky a complete movie.
@ganymede said in The Basketball Thread:
@Arkandel said in The Basketball Thread:
Lonzo and Lavar
The Balls can suck themselves. Lonzo's the second coming of Manziel, mark my words.
The line on Lonzo: 10.2 PPG; < 40% FG percentage.
Stick with the kid, buddy.
@auspice said in RL things I love:
He is like the personification of 15 year old boys in their bedroom playing WoW on a Saturday night.
My partner finds him rather attractive, actually.
Shows what she knows.
I hate this. It's easier to get meth or heroin around here than it is to get insulin (or needles for your pens).
My county's more renowned for opiate deaths than yours is. Haw haw!
@thatguythere said in MU Things I Love:
I gotta say I like the concept. One of the big plus sides to NWoD Hunter is that there are a lot of ways to help the vigil rather than just being all rar kill monkey.
I do too. Whistler is probably my favorite character in the Blade trilogy.
@faraday said in Travel Times - Enforced?:
That's what I think @Ganymede was alluding to with "you barely even noticed it" on BSGU. There were enforced travel times, but I took care to set up most of the missions so the travel time didn't inconvenience anybody.
Exactly.
Like, if you were in a starship on a Star Trek game, and you were traveling from Omicron Persei VIII to Betelgeuse XIII, it might take 7 days to travel there. So, you couldn't really do any land missions during that time. What you could do, though, is schedule social gatherings and events during the travel time, which can always be suddenly interrupted by a mischievous Q or some random deep-ass philosophical event that shuts down the warp core because your ship's counselor is having some weird Betazoid psychic freak-out or something, I don't know.
@faraday said in Travel Times - Enforced?:
Or be up-front about it. "Look, this mission will take you guys off-grid for a week and you'll only have each other to RP with. You in?" The problems I've seen are not so much about occasional one-off plots, but occur when getting from A to B is a regular and routine part of the game (like on a Star Wars MU with multiple planet settings).
As far as I'm concerned, the travel time is the time for social RP. So, if I can't RP while I'm in transition, that's a strike against the game.
Last time I played on a game where travel time was remotely enforced was BSG:U, and, like you barely even noticed it.
@faceless said in MUSH Marriages (IC):
Shortest? Hopefully the one I'll get to play some day when I make my married-couple Sin-Eater concept.
I would love to play one-half of a Sin-Eater couple who interact like Jimmy and Alison Porter from Osborne's Look Back in Anger, and are lashed to Geists who are the dead versions of George and Martha from Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?.
I think we're actually pretty close to the same opinion, but are stating it different ways.
I agree with all three of your points. And I also agree with your summation. I don't plan my life around anyone online, and that's generally one of my lines. I do try to honor my commitments online when I can, but, of course, real life obligations come first, including to my partner.
But with that line in mind, I do try to arrange things OOCly when I can. With that boundary in mind. My IC partners are never going to take precedence over my RL friends, family, children, acquaintances, or activities.
@darinelle said in MUSH Marriages (IC):
I'm not sure what shit you're talking about.
In retrospect, I'm not sure I completely understood what you were getting at either.
To a certain extent I am willing to do that ICly for an IC relationship, but I am not willing to discuss OOCly how our relationship is making you OOC feel.
This is something I am always willing to talk about, but that doesn't mean I'm going to give ground on those lines. I believe that working IC relationships have this element of OOC to them; that is, I and the other player(s) get along OOC, which is sort of how the IC relationship works. I can honestly say I've never had a particularly deep IC relationship with anyone I didn't get along with OOC. So, how a person feels OOC about the relationship is somewhat relevant to whether or not it's going to be an IC relationship that is worth pursuing.
If a partner feels as if my sporadic online times aren't conducive to what they expect OOC out of their RP or IC relationship, I am more than happy to find a reason to step aside for them to pursue someone else, if they wish. I think this is part of the "hold the line" mentality; if someone expects different lines from their RP partners, then they should hold their lines and enforce them, just as I would.
Ultimately, I believe that what we get and expect from our IC relationships are set primarily from our OOC preferences and expectations. So, you really ought to talk OOC about OOC feelings if they come up OOC.
I think a lot comes down to, simply, the approach and response.
The best approach is one that seeks a yes or no response. For example: "Hello! I'd really like to RP with you today. Can you log on <alt> and play with me?"
The best response is direct with a short explanation. For example: "No, I'm playing with <other PC> right now and can't handle another window."
Being direct with responses also requires, on the flip side, being direct with your desires. Ironically, the best way to avoid a dramatic confrontation is to be as direct as possible, in my opinion.
That said:
@darinelle said in MUSH Marriages (IC):
"We are not OOCly married or together. Do not treat me as though we are."
Yeah, this isn't a great response, because I wouldn't tolerate that shit from my partner either. Plus, it throws just so much shade.
I didn't say before, but I really enjoyed the limited RP we had on Fifth Kingdom; I played Daithi.
Also, I'll see you on the Descent as Templeton.
And Fate's Harvest, as Belladona.
Oh! And on Reno 3.0 as Galina. (Although that might change.)
@calindra
When people say "don't judge me," I respond with: "Don't worry; I'm judging the living shit out of you."
Outta my face with asking me to lie and shit.
@faraday said in MUSH Marriages (IC):
@Ganymede is my hero.
Well, you are my hero, so this definitely works out.
@arkandel said in MUSH Marriages (IC):
That was definitely not my intention. I think you are very clear in the way that you interact with people in that you draw lines to make clear where things stand, so that they know if they are getting crossed.
I know. I was being tongue-in-cheek.
Seriously, I've had great relationship RP. Fun relationship RP, that didn't always become about the hawt seX0rz. I can think of a dozen folks I have such a good time with in a relationship, mostly because, I guess, I'm not clingy or needy as a player.
Funny, though, that I can see how my MUSH relationships mirror my own at home. My partner and I are professionals who see each other for, like, a couple of hours a day. She gives me my space to play video games, and it gives her space to read her fan-fiction and do online shopping. And when we come together, we have stories to tell, laughs to share, and get into general mushiness that help remind each other as to why we have stayed together for 12+ years.
Wistfully, I miss just about every PC relationship I've lost over the past two years, but times move on. From Daithi's awkward love triangle to Trash Panda's manic connection with Kyle, I'm reminded constantly as to what enjoyable social RP can be like.
But, yeah. Like any RL relationship, set clear boundaries where applicable and don't budge. The worthy suitors and lovers will come by and enjoy the living shit out of you because, lo, you're being an adult in adult situations.
