For those who remember Silver Light and Afterwind, you'll remember the "Ask Me Anything" hosted by Amok and Ivan. Thought i'd pick up the tradition, and get re-acquainted with the community! As the title suggests, feel free to ask anything! Non-game related questions welcome! (Especially those deep subjects you always wanted to know about, but were afraid to ask, like "What is the meaning of life?" or "Are we really living in a computer simulation?" or "Boxers or Briefs?") ♥
Hey, good to hear from you Brian. Yes I feel that Ontario has the most stringent lockdowns of anywhere on the planet. Let's hope that the worst of it is behind us. To better days ahead...
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*War in Europe again isn't good for anyone... that's why the EU Needs to Evoke and Become the EEC once more, as an International, Nationalist Union Long Live The Realms! Long Live the Europeans!*
It'll pop up again, Delta or Beta or whatever new Strains, As long as India, The whole of Africa and South America are infected. The world won't recover or at least we all will be living with it for another 2 years+
Good to here from you
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*War in Europe again isn't good for anyone... that's why the EU Needs to Evoke and Become the EEC once more, as an International, Nationalist Union Long Live The Realms! Long Live the Europeans!*
What is your answer to the coronal heating problem?
Excellent question... and i have two answers - one for left brain, and one for left brain/right brain.
But first, a commentary on the 'religion of science'. Some of you know i have a science background. It was fairly obvious in my training that while modern science boasts it can explain nearly everything (just filling in the gaps now) it really has no idea on major fundamentals. For instance, the "Big Bang" itself is a near universally accepted theory, but it is founded on mystical beliefs that have no scientific basis. (i.e. something from nothing - in other words, the moment before the big bang, nothingness... then mystical event, and something.) Also, mass itself cannot be explained by science in a fundamental way. It is a presumption, but the underlying principles of 'what is mass' remain elusive. Same with speed of light, and a half dozen other things.
For those of you modeling computer simulations, things like speed of light (pixels moving continuously accross the screen without teleporting) are limited by the processor speed, refresh rate, etc. Mass is a numerical value assigned to a point in space. And so in the past 10 years, i have come to accept that most probably we are living in a computer simulation. All of these 'unknowns' in science have far more elegant solutions using this model. So the Big Bang theory is just the simulation booting up... In Jan 2010, no AW world. Feb 2010.. poof AW worlds exist. Same principle.. someone pressed the 'run' button, and our universe 'simulation' started... no violation of scientific principles.
So with that in mind.. the left brain answer:
Scientific theories have a rather feeble, conjecture ridden explanation that magnetic fields are constructively interfering with the plasma escaping the sun, leading to superheating and as a result, the heating problem results. Both leading theories of how exactly this work agree that EM fields play some role, as it is the most probable way for superheating to occur. But it's still highly improbable that this is what is actually happening. It's just there's no other plausible theories given the 'rule-set' (i.e. physics) of our universe.
So the left/brain right/brain answer:
We are in a computed simulation, and sometimes the 'code' needs to have a quick fix or a patch that conflicts with the elegance of the original code. An example of this is the changes in speed of light over the past century, which show that the uncertainty error demonstrates the speed of light has changed in the past 100 years, which is impossible according to physics... yet the data shows it (If you haven't come across this before, ask yourself 'why haven't i heard of this before? See the history chart on the wiki link here ==> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_of_light#History , but there are other more technical sources). Sometimes the 'programmers' of our simulation discover something that needs a 'tweak' - sometimes they just want to screw with physicists and let them know they don't know what the are talking about (Anyone who knows about the double slit experiment understands what i'm talking about - also, there is an experiment currently underway to answer the double slit problem using computer simulation theory, to definitively answer this.)
So the super heating is either a 'patch' to ensure the environment on earth remained hospitable to life (for example, to correct for a mass extinction ice age) for us simulants (humans and other brainy creatures) or it's a 'double-slit' thing to wake up the dogmatic scientists and tell them 'you guys don't know jack about the way the world works, so we're giving you a problem so you start using your brain again and stop relying on outdated science to explain things.'
I give it about 80% probability it's the first, and 20% it's the second, but once those NASA probes collect their data, i'll can refine these probabilities).
Any proposal that promotes collaboration and constructive processes, as opposed to punitive and destructive process (i.e. sanctions, war), is generally a step towards a more advanced social system. I give Canzuk a thumbs up for these nations working together - but i keep in the back of my mind that this type of arrangement would be beneficial for all nations to adopt. In the sense that 'Canzuk' might be used to diminish the EU through destructive competition, there is the possibility the overall effect could be negative in the long run, though it seems highly unlikely.
TLDR - Canzuk is a good thing, with a low chance of it having long term negative consequences.
Hey, good to hear from you Brian. Yes I feel that Ontario has the most stringent lockdowns of anywhere on the planet. Let's hope that the worst of it is behind us. To better days ahead...
Cheers...
pm me if you are still hosting those awesome casual games ♥
Was just visiting friends at some of my wifi hotspots... have received two comments that i've lost weight, so ima go with that... i did gain a few early on, but lost it all and then some i think.
Will you accept Jesus Christ & the Catholic Church he established?
Also: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lctv_pyT62o
i accept the universal message... that we are not here to make money and acquire material things, but to evolve ourselves, to become better people, to care about others, to give of ourselves. i tend not to discuss specifics in religion on AW forums unless i know the discussion won't be derailed, so let me just say, that the Catholic Church (in my opinion) has gotten away from some of his teachings in it's pursuit to grow the 'church establishment'. In other words, the principles are sound, but the execution by SOME people, who sought to extend power and control within the church, lead to some things that seem to me counter the universal message.
Never tried in last several years... i'm in a coffee shop right now, and don't want to be asked to leave, so not gonna try right now. Probably no more than 20 though, as i'm not doing any strength training.
Can you put game new rule options.i mean players cant declare war on other players in 5 turns etc.
i am not a coder, so short answer is "No" , i personally can't do that. (though i have been asking Dave if i learned to code, where should i start - open to others opinions on this... pm me if you have experience... i used to code a bit in university and was good at it then, but that was years ago and the landscape has totally changed since.)
However, if you follow my posts on rule changes, i am "pro options"... in other words, essentially any rule that can be defined by the host (right now there's about a dozen, such as income levels, max players, etc.) i am for. So if you post about it in the dev forums, i will always support the option "Declare war on turn : Turn 1 , 3, 5, 10, etc.) Basically if it's an option that's good for the game, i will whisper in Dave's ear my support. And i can't think of an option i am against.
Watch this 4 minutes long video and tell me if you liked it or not.
i like a good mislead... have to admit by 50 second in i got the gist i think, so skipped to the end. If i missed anything other than some not so witty banter and trash talk between 50s and 3:20 let me know, but as i said, i like a good mislead so i give it half thumb up.
What else do you do for fun besides atwar and when are you coming to San Diego?
Got kind of addicted to Valheim (sorry Dave, but if AW had a single player, offline version, i would have played that also ♥)
Has a norse theme, open world, and tamable creatures, so it checks some of my boxes.
Finally broke down and watched "Lost" during covid - i bike and hike for fun also. Most people don't consider research fun necessarily, but i do... learned about the (brief, abridged version) history of Sri Lanka recently, Rudolf Steiner, how Ahsoka as Anakin's padawan is canon, having only seen the prequels... non of the explanations i've heard sound convincing.
Love to visit San Diego... but border crossing is not in my foreseeable future (multiple reasons). I visited once as a teenager... still can't believe i was set free in Tijuana (unsupervised, by self) on a Disney World vacation when i was about 14, maybe 15 at most... San Diego seemed tame by comparison in my young mind ♥
Will Crooked Sid finally be demoted now that you're back? If I recall correctly, Sid was only promoted to fill in for you. The power has really gone to his head and he's become a tyrant. I'm really glad you're back, Brian.
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Laochra¹: i pray to the great zizou, that my tb stops the airtrans of the yellow infidel
Will Crooked Sid finally be demoted now that you're back? If I recall correctly, Sid was only promoted to fill in for you. The power has really gone to his head and he's become a tyrant. I'm really glad you're back, Brian.
You recall correctly. I think the best move would be to create a new level above Dave, promote Sid to Supreme AW ruler, so Dave can experience first hand Sid's tyranny. Only then will Dave have the necessary first hand information to correct this grand injustice.
♥
Seriously though, Sid's doing a fine job, and Dave won't mess with what works ♥
Finally a REAL admin around. PM me if interested on overthrowing Dave
Unleashed proved Dave is immune to overthrow ♥
(I personally wouldn't want that responsibility... actually i'm not entirely convinced Dave wants that responsibility, now that he knows what he got himself into ♥)
Yaay brian ... We are Glad to have an "Old timer" back! Welcome back sir, and very glad you are well!
As I have ALWAYS told everyone, YOU are the most level-headed player/person in the game!
Yaay brian ... We are Glad to have an "Old timer" back! Welcome back sir, and very glad you are well!
As I have ALWAYS told everyone, YOU are the most level-headed player/person in the game!
players have been predicting AW shutting down for a decade now, and yet it keeps on keeping on ... Dave loves the game so i'm predicting a long future, but it's not a question i can answer.
Please tell us in detail how ur first heartbreak happened with a man and how it affected you :O
That one is easier. But to tell the story, i must break the mod code of not discussing mod promotions. However, i will make a one time exception...
It was RaulPB... after many amazing discussions about AW and contributing to the games translation, as well as delving into philosophy and being an all around respected player, i asked other mods to support him becoming a mod... it was unanimous... everyone thought he'd make a great mod.
I messaged him, inviting him personally to join the mod team.
And he declined... i had never felt this feeling before... it was as if the heavens opened up, revealing such wonder and amazement, only to have it taken away. A black void triumphed were once there was hope for a brighter future.
Please tell us in detail how ur first heartbreak happened with a woman and how it affected you :O
girl or woman? not sure if a woman ever broke my heart... i did end a relationship and after the fact realized i was an idiot, but not sure that's the same thing.
i mean who was ur first loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
That one is easier. But to tell the story, i must break the mod code of not discussing mod promotions. However, i will make a one time exception...
It was RaulPB... after many amazing discussions about AW and contributing to the games translation, as well as delving into philosophy and being an all around respected player, i asked other mods to support him becoming a mod... it was unanimous... everyone thought he'd make a great mod.
I messaged him, inviting him personally to join the mod team.
And he declined... i had never felt this feeling before... it was as if the heavens opened up, revealing such wonder and amazement, only to have it taken away. A black void triumphed were once there was hope for a brighter future.
Dark times indeed.
NOOOOO! There shall be no dark times once Brian is back, only hearts and more hearts, hearts everywhere and for everyone!!
I never knew that affected you for real! I am just too inactive to accept such responsability, my active warring days are a bit extinct... besides, it has always seemed as if there were some sort of curse over whoever got modship: they suddenly became unavailable, grumpy, humourless, oversensitive or insensitive, rough, etc. just to eventually go inactive and never be heard of again. As you already know, I love being myself and I wouldn't want that to change, but who knows, maybe I could accept some day just to regain that love of yours.
Hi Columna. If you're reading this, you're my favourite exception. Call me maybe?
So, my question: when can we organize a meeting to chat?? We gotta meet up in a game or something as well. There's a lot of overdue dates to be had! Can you get me a job in Toronto so I can relocate closer to you?
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Don't ever look down on someone unless you're helping him up. Don't ever treat someone else the way you wouldn't want others to treat you.
We're all people.
it has always seemed as if there were some sort of curse over whoever got modship: they suddenly became unavailable, grumpy, humourless, oversensitive or insensitive, rough, etc. just to eventually go inactive and never be heard of again.
I just have to say, this does happen... because people don't seem to realize how much shit the moderators have to deal with. Its really not fair sometimes. But just imagine how much worse things would be without them. It's a thankless job.
Sorry I don't mean to hijack the thread. I go crawl back into my cave now.
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All men can see these tactics whereby I conquer,
but what none can see is the strategy out of which victory is evolved.
--Sun Tzu
I just have to say, this does happen... because people don't seem to realize how much shit the moderators have to deal with. Its really not fair sometimes. But just imagine how much worse things would be without them. It's a thankless job.
Sorry I don't mean to hijack the thread. I go crawl back into my cave now.
No worries, there's no such thing as hijacking in the thread of love! anyway, I was describing it in a "humorously" way, but I somewhat understand how and why they feel in such way. I personally have felt a bit of bitterness in the past just due to participating in off-topic, thus why I limited my participation in it. That's another reason why I felt that becoming a mod would potentially harm my capacity to enjoy the game, maybe...
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Don't ever look down on someone unless you're helping him up. Don't ever treat someone else the way you wouldn't want others to treat you.
We're all people.