Sermil and the Banter of Randomness: Random Banter #228

[Bartmanhomer]

... I just explained it.

Ok cool. Anyway, I'm having fun with my solo D&D 3.5 game, in the future I'm thinking of adding K'yorl's original girlfriend in the team.

[Fyraltari]

How is that not false advertising? Please explain.

I think that the fact we don't live on the same continent may play a small role in that.

[Sermil]

Have I mentioned how much I hate git recently? I hate git.

I mean, there's a solid idea in there somewhere, but it's buried under a command-line interface that makes early-days UNIX look consistent. I'm trying to explain how it works to someone:

OK, so git checkout moves the HEAD pointer. That's how you move HEAD. Oh, unless you do git checkout -b, in which case it doesn't move the HEAD but instead creates a new branch at the current HEAD. Don't use git branch to create branches, use git checkout -b. And, of course, git checkout -- overwrites files on your local disk and has nothing at all to do with HEAD.

[Bartmanhomer]

I think that the fact we don't live on the same continent may play a small role in that.

Well, that makes perfect sense.

[Qwertystop]

Have I mentioned how much I hate git recently? I hate git.

I mean, there's a solid idea in there somewhere, but it's buried under a command-line interface that makes early-days UNIX look consistent. I'm trying to explain how it works to someone:

OK, so git checkout moves the HEAD pointer. That's how you move HEAD. Oh, unless you do git checkout -b, in which case it doesn't move the HEAD but instead creates a new branch at the current HEAD. Don't use git branch to create branches, use git checkout -b. And, of course, git checkout -- overwrites files on your local disk and has nothing at all to do with HEAD.

Recent versions of git separated checkout into restore and switch, and added branch creation to branch, for exactly that reason.

[Sermil]

Recent versions of git separated checkout into restore and switch, and added branch creation to branch, for exactly that reason.

Except git branch just creates the branch, it doesn't switch you to the branch. Who thought that was a good default? How many times do you want to create branch and not do anything with it afterwards?

And why don't branches have a decent upstream by default? Why is the default having them ignore changes in the upstream unless you remember to git branch --set-upstream-to=origin/master on every branch creation? Do you know how much that confuses new people? They pull into their local repo, but don't actually see the changes they just pulled.

And, of course, half the open source projects I work on end up wrapping git in some wrapper script of greater or lesser complexity, because out-of-box git is too broken to use. Or add extra git commands. Which, of course, means that when you search for weird error message, the instructions don't exist or following the instructions puts your local repo into some state that the wrapper script isn't expecting and you're even more messed up...

UGH.

[Bartmanhomer]

Anyway, my solo D&D 3.5 game is on fire! My team faces an imp. First off that tiny devil tried to sneak attack Darrak but failed. My team tried to attack but failed. The Imp hits Darrak with a stinger but only one point of damage. Darrak uses his fortitude saving throw by not getting poison but he successfully made it with having a high roll check. Then the team tried to damage the imp. Darrak managed to damage the imp with one of his dwarven waraxe with the help of K'yorl Bless spell and his Steely Strike maneuver. The imp flies in order to attack somebody else which happens to be Sariel. The imp damages Sariel with 4 points of damages and she managed to use her Fortitude saving throw successfully. Han uses his Magic Missile to damage the imp and K'yorl finished the imp off with his light crossbow bolts. I must admit, the imp was a little challenging and everybody earns 120 XP.

[Mystic Muse]

Aren't you literally the only person in this campaign? As in, you run both the monsters and characters?

[Bartmanhomer]

Aren't you literally the only person in this campaign? As in, you run both the monsters and characters?

Yes, I am and I'm doing a great job at it.

[Mystic Muse]

It's going to be really difficult for anyone else in this thread to get invested in something that you're in control of every aspect of.

[Bartmanhomer]

It's going to be really difficult for anyone else in this thread to get invested in something that you're in control of every aspect of.

What do you mean?

[Mystic Muse]

What do you mean?

So, this is related to the previous mentioned thing about how sometimes your posts make no attempt to engage other posters. Which isn't necessarily a problem, as long as that isn't what you're trying to do. So, if all you're trying to do is give us a summary of how things went with no expectation of people talking about it, then no worries.

If you're trying to get people to discuss your campaign though, that's a lot more difficult. It's sort of the plot armor problem a lot of stories have. It's much harder to get invested in something when you know the heroes are functionally invincible. I'm not saying that's how you're running the campaign, but that risk is always there because you're in control of literally everything.

Now, ignoring that for a moment, it's really difficult for people to get invested in a simple combat summary. Why is the group fighting the imp? What's the story here? What's the consequence if the party succeeds? What's the consequence if they fail? The consequences of combats tend to only be interesting insofar as they directly relate to the consequences of the story. There are potential exceptions, but the combat itself has to be really exceptional for that.

If you want people to engage with and talk about the things you mention, you naturally will have to cater to them to some degree. The best way I can describe it is probably, the way you're making your posts seems targeted towards your own entertainment. There's nothing wrong with that if you aren't trying to start a conversation. If you're trying to start a conversation with other people, you have to do something to appeal to their interests and engage them.

If anyone else wants to take a shot at explaining it, feel free. I'm never sure how much I'm actually helping, and how much I'm just spinning my wheels.

[Cazero]

There's been a bloody moskito in my home for a few weeks now, and it woke me up this morning again. And I swear, this thing learns. It knows to go quiet when I show signs of being awake. No way to catch a glimpse of it in my room.

Please, let the next intelligent specie on earth be octopus-based, not a bloody moskito.

[Wizard_Lizard]

Moskitos suck.

[LaZodiac]

Moskitos suck.

This is actually a common misconception mosquito's draw blood via their specialized feeding tube having a coating of anti-coagulant that stops blood in the surrounding area from hardening. Once the agent is applied and their tube is jammed into the vein, it gushes up into their blood sacs like an oil refinery striking a rich vein of liquid gold.

[Lacco]

So they suck without even attempting to suck...?

Still: another fact to astonish and terrify my children with. Thank you!

[Anonymouswizard]

I've lost 2.727272727272727272727 kilos (that's six quid for those of you with outdated units) in the last week.

I mean, I'm still massive, but I'm worried it's too much for one week.

[Aotrs Commander]

Got my shipment of BattleMechs in from Ral Partha Europe this morning.

Why oh why does it have to be that my favourite sort of mechs (the bird/dinosaur legged ones) are always the frickin' hardest nightmare to put together? Heck, the Zeus and UrbanMech are just one fragging piece... (I mean that's probably the first point in favour I can say fo the UrbanMech aside from it being cheap, but I wanted to even my lances out and it was "I really OUGHT to have one, because its so common...")

But no, Avatar, Koto and Osiris are going to be a lot of work...

I've lost 2.727272727272727272727 kilos (that's six quid for those of you with outdated units) in the last week.

I mean, I'm still massive, but I'm worried it's too much for one week.

Depends how you lost it, I think and possibly how much of a proportion it is. I'm told its supposed to ideally be something along the lines of a pound a week or something, and that if it comes off fast, it has a tendancy to come back fast. And you don't want to give in to the temptations to just drop too much too quickly

That said, it is also worth noting that scales can be highly unreliable, especially if you just move them around (I once noted our bathroom scales gave different results depending where you were standing, even on flat surfaces), so there could be a +/-2-3 pounds just on variation, so keeping a track of it and doing it at the sam time and place when you do it is imp[ortant, and if you do ir on the regular like, remember it's a dispersion pattern and it will vary day to day and even day-to-night.

(Once 'pon a time (when I were alive), I was very confused when I weighed myself on't scales and it said I weighed more in the morning than the previous night, for example, as a conbination of factors.)

[Peelee]

I've lost 2.727272727272727272727 kilos (that's six quid

I like how you said "quid" as if that would in any way be helpful to non-Brits.

Also, outdated units? You guys still measure in stones!

[Fyraltari]

I like how you said "quid" as if that would in any way be helpful to non-Brits.

Also, outdated units? You guys still measure in stones!

I think he was aiming that at other Britons?

[Bartmanhomer]

So, this is related to the previous mentioned thing about how sometimes your posts make no attempt to engage other posters. Which isn't necessarily a problem, as long as that isn't what you're trying to do. So, if all you're trying to do is give us a summary of how things went with no expectation of people talking about it, then no worries.

If you're trying to get people to discuss your campaign though, that's a lot more difficult. It's sort of the plot armor problem a lot of stories have. It's much harder to get invested in something when you know the heroes are functionally invincible. I'm not saying that's how you're running the campaign, but that risk is always there because you're in control of literally everything.

Now, ignoring that for a moment, it's really difficult for people to get invested in a simple combat summary. Why is the group fighting the imp? What's the story here? What's the consequence if the party succeeds? What's the consequence if they fail? The consequences of combats tend to only be interesting insofar as they directly relate to the consequences of the story. There are potential exceptions, but the combat itself has to be really exceptional for that.

If you want people to engage with and talk about the things you mention, you naturally will have to cater to them to some degree. The best way I can describe it is probably, the way you're making your posts seems targeted towards your own entertainment. There's nothing wrong with that if you aren't trying to start a conversation. If you're trying to start a conversation with other people, you have to do something to appeal to their interests and engage them.

If anyone else wants to take a shot at explaining it, feel free. I'm never sure how much I'm actually helping, and how much I'm just spinning my wheels.

Ok. Now that you mention it. My solo campaign is about five heroes trying to stop the devils from invading the city of Herlon.

[Peelee]

I think he was aiming that at other Britons?

I was under the impression that was aimed at people who didn't use kilos, which is... two countries? Three? Anyway, I took a shot in the dark.

[Fyraltari]

I was under the impression that was aimed at people who didn't use kilos, which is... two countries? Three? Anyway, I took a shot in the dark.

Officially three, but as you point out the Brits are kind of two-faced on thé issue (and I don’t think anybody else uses quids, but I may be wrong). As is Canada, if what I am told is true. I suspect there’s a similar situation going on in a few countries but I have so far not been able to find a reliable source on official adoption of the S.I. vs everyday use over the globe.

[Anonymouswizard]

Depends how you lost it, I think and possibly how much of a proportion it is. I'm told its supposed to ideally be something along the lines of a pound a week or something, and that if it comes off fast, it has a tendancy to come back fast. And you don't want to give in to the temptations to just drop too much too quickly

That said, it is also worth noting that scales can be highly unreliable, especially if you just move them around (I once noted our bathroom scales gave different results depending where you were standing, even on flat surfaces), so there could be a +/-2-3 pounds just on variation, so keeping a track of it and doing it at the sam time and place when you do it is imp[ortant, and if you do ir on the regular like, remember it's a dispersion pattern and it will vary day to day and even day-to-night.

(Once 'pon a time (when I were alive), I was very confused when I weighed myself on't scales and it said I weighed more in the morning than the previous night, for example, as a conbination of factors.)

Up to about two pounds/one kilo a week is what I heard as a safe limit, I'm trying to aim for about half that on average.

And yeah, I try not to move the scales much and if it looks suspicious nudge them a bit to see if it changed anything, but the only time I moved them this week is this morning to make sure it wasn't just that I'd knocked them about or the like.

I think he was aiming that at other Britons?

Kind of. Like, I forget that most people outside the isles probably don't realised that 'quid' is slang for a monetary unit. (And yes, I'm including the RoI in there, although I don't know exactly how widespread it is there.)

Ok. Now that you mention it. My solo campaign is about five heroes trying to stop the devils from invading the city of Herlon.

Serious question: have you thought about getting NWN/RPG Maker or something along those lines and making this story into a module/game instead? Because, while you might be having fun, I could not care less about it at the moment.

[LaZodiac]

So they suck without even attempting to suck...?

Still: another fact to astonish and terrify my children with. Thank you!

Yup! Another fun fact; there is a singular neuron connecting the abdomen and brain that tells the mosquito when it is full and if you sever it the mosquito WILL just pump blood until it explodes.

Also note that even mosquito who DO have their one brain cell turned on will still sometimes **** themselves over. Greedy monsters, I've seen more than a handful of mosquito's up here just become fully incapable of flight after feeding, so it's just this trundling, inflated bug full of red that is doing is best to hop away with legs that are designed purely and only to hold onto things, not propel or ambulate.

I've lost 2.727272727272727272727 kilos (that's six quid for those of you with outdated units) in the last week.

I mean, I'm still massive, but I'm worried it's too much for one week.

Congrats! You can do it AnonWizard! And while none of these numbers are in pound I'm pretty sure it is fine.

[Bartmanhomer]

Up to about two pounds/one kilo a week is what I heard as a safe limit, I'm trying to aim for about half that on average.

And yeah, I try not to move the scales much and if it looks suspicious nudge them a bit to see if it changed anything, but the only time I moved them this week is this morning to make sure it wasn't just that I'd knocked them about or the like.



Kind of. Like, I forget that most people outside the isles probably don't realised that 'quid' is slang for a monetary unit. (And yes, I'm including the RoI in there, although I don't know exactly how widespread it is there.)



Serious question: have you thought about getting NWN/RPG Maker or something along those lines and making this story into a module/game instead? Because, while you might be having fun, I could not care less about it at the moment.

What's NWN/RPG Maker? I'm curious.

[Aotrs Commander]

Kind of. Like, I forget that most people outside the isles probably don't realised that 'quid' is slang for a monetary unit. (And yes, I'm including the RoI in there, although I don't know exactly how widespread it is there.)

To be fair, I use quid all the time in context with money, but even I was like "huh?" when you used it in that context, so them as Is Foriegn stand no chance...!

[LaZodiac]

What's NWN/RPG Maker? I'm curious.

They are both programs. Never Winter Nights is a PC game inspired by one of the editions of DND (forget which) that also includes heavy modding support and easy access to the game tools. Utilizing it, you can make your own campaigns that people can then play through themselves.

RPG Maker meanwhile is literally what it sounds like; it is an application suite that lets you make an RPG. You can use it to create your own real life RPG with assets it includes as free-to-use and also your own assets if you make them.

You can use both of these to create an actual playable experience that I imagine people will be more interesting and engaging due to the nature of the story now being participatory, and not just context-less spurts of information.

[Anonymouswizard]

Congrats! You can do it AnonWizard! And while none of these numbers are in pound I'm pretty sure it is fine.

Quid=£

What's NWN/RPG Maker? I'm curious.

NWN is Neverwinter Nights, and I'm talking about the 2000s Bioware game (and Obsidian sequel). It's a D&D 3e based CRPG which came with the dev tools on the disc allowing you to make your own stories, and although I prefer the sequel the dev tools for the original are a little bit more stable.

RPG Maker is a series of JRPG toolkits that are relatively easy to learn. Basically they're a series of programs for making games in the (16 bit) Dragon Quest/Final Fantasy style.

Basically what I'm saying is, have you considered, instead of just running the game by yourself, trying to make it into something somebody else can experience?

[Peelee]

To be fair, I use quid all the time in context with money, but even I was like "huh?" when you used it in that context, so them as Is Foriegn stand no chance...!

Amusingly enough, I got it immediately. The Adventures of Tintin really helped solidify "quid" in my mind - specifically, the Thompson twins haggling over umbrellas.

Still had to take a shot, though.