Промоакции для игроков не только в шутерах — воспользуйся промокодом Vavada от наших партнеров и получи бонусы, которые подарят азарт и атмосферу, сравнимую с игровыми победами.
.Part of the transhumanist cause is based on the failures of the human brain. The wetware running “you” is whatever evolution cobbled together over several eons. My new favorite example? Blue and green. Just click and look, because I cannot explain it any better. I even double-checked the graphics myself.
Your brain does not work correctly. Upgrade as soon as the technology is available.
: Zubon
Link via Volokh, and see also.
You know how rarely I link to game companies’ press releases. This is an interesting announcement: League of Legends (DotA: the next generation) will be free.
RMT shop? Yes, of course. The stated intent is that the paid-for options will be cosmetic, convenience, or quicker access. You pay for options to be unlocked that you would otherwise need to earn. This could be done perfectly properly. This could also be done by making the non-pay option a ridiculous grind. City of Heroes intended the paid-for packs to be mostly cosmetic; each has included a very nice but not overly devastating power, and you mostly pay for costume pieces and travel convenience there. I reserve judgment until we have details (some to come Friday).
The most important developer quote:
Yes, the person who plays a lot and pays us $0 will have everything that the guy who pays us money but plays a moderate amount does except:
1) He will be missing some champion SKINS (not champions, but goth annie, black minotaur, plus more to come).
2) He may be missing a few minor convenience features.What they will have in common at that point is:
1) Access to all champions
2) Access to all runes (the hardcore guy who pays $0 may have access to more realistically)
3) Max level summoners
4) Access to the new maps, matchmaking modes, etc as they come available.
: Zubon
Quite a few writers and artists have abused the fourth wall by putting themselves in their works. By sheer mass, the majority must be fanfic writers. Some use veiled substitutes for themselves or idealized versions (see Atlas Shrugged and Twilight), but others go right ahead and dive in. The wisest have done so in works under their exclusive control.
There is no way that Statesman “is” Jack Emmert in this sense. That was his handle and a role he played occasionally, and it can be unfortunate to put something you think of as your character under someone else’s control, but few people think they are killing Jack Emmert by proxy in the Lord Recluse Strike Force. Are Guards Black and Moor closer to the (now) 38 Studios employees? I really don’t know that they have any background, just a reference someone mentioned to me.
I mention this because Chris Sims, your friend and mine, points out the odd case of Grant Morrison. He wrote himself into an Animal Man comic, which means that he is an official, in-continuity DC character. (One can argue about whether DC can claim copyright on his person or likeness, make action figures, etc. This is not my point today.) Another writer took advantage of this and used Grant Morrison as a villain in his comic, killing him off quickly.
: Zubon
As of now, Kill Ten Rats is the only place on record in the entire universe (well, Google) as using the phrase “see Atlas Shrugged or Twilight.” It takes a rare sagacity to put those words together.
I have been saying it since Generation Dead came out, but I am convinced after a tour through the coming books. Generation Dead‘s sequel is already out, and the zombie cheerleaders are starting to line up. Zombie movies and games started moving that way a while ago, with 28 Days Later and Left 4 Dead featuring fast-moving zombies like angry rabies victims, with the former even having them convert victims with a single bite. Vampires started going sparkly sometime in the Anne Rice years, and I am surprised how quickly the zombies have followed. We are probably on the verge of a unified undead-dom, or maybe the next author will decide that they are all variant forms of revenants, and we will see epic fantasy adventure wherein revenant dragon-slayers work with undead witches to save the kingdom. I see movies, lousy console game tie-ins, and a cartoon version that mimics anime stylings.
: Zubon
[Update]
No snark handy, let’ go straight to the links of hatred: Lum, Mu, Tweety, Arkenor, Tipa, Ken, and Bruce (with more condensed hatred links in his comments). I tried it, and it remains a Travian clone with RMT annoyances. I won, by any list of goals I might have had, so you’re welcome to my stuff if there is a way to give it away.
: Zubon
Here at the conference, our bus route is 5 Gold. I found that surprising, because even the most expensive horse routes are 35 silver.
: Zubon
30. I hear that the last ten levels take as long as all the ones that came before, but I have also heard that it just feels that way.
: Zubon
Unlike my Minneapolis trip, there is no overlapping gaming conference, but I will be in Chicago this weekend, if anyone else will be about. Sadly, my librarian guildmate will not be attending. There should still be time to get a free exhibits pass, if anyone needs the link. Neil Gaiman is on the list of authors signing, along with Judy Blume on Saturday and M. T. Anderson on Monday.
: Zubon