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Messages - Cait M. R.

#241
Think for Yourself, Schmuck! / A change of tone
April 21, 2009, 09:34:11 PM
I hate making new topics. I always feel like I'm going to piss someone off by stepping on their carefully arranged threads and end up with a pair of gardening shears jammed in my trachea, and maybe a spade in my face if the person in question was particularly fond of this patch of topics. But sometimes, risks must be taken, as when I find myself with a good idea and no one to help me with it.

I am not fond of the view that the BIP was too dark. Have you seen where you're living? The BIP was a shiny beam of hope through the black cloudy sky of bad shit followed by worse piss. Attempting to make the BIP more friendly is like attempting to make the PD more batshit bonkers -- it's pointlessly beating a horse that should have been ground to dust long ago, the only difference is in degrees. The world isn't all sunshine and lollipops, folks.

Rather than rant, I want to save my pent up rage and sarcasm for a completely new work. This is not a BIP revamp, in fact it's only tangentially related to that particular work. A short discussion with Cain led me to change my tune that it should be completely dark though. Rather, it should start quite nice, with lots of artificial lights, things that seem comfortingly true, then break the bulbs one by one to show the hideous spectre behind the shininess.

In my short discussion with Cain, I came to the conslusion that this would be best served by using the major arcana of the tarot as metaphors, and Silent Hill's dark/light dichotomy for inspiration on how to handle the reversals.

Problem is, I'm not happy. I can't possibly be happy with this fucked up shithole we live in. I can't SEE the lights everyone else does.

So I need one of you hippies to help me write this.

For the interested: You should expect to write either a full page or a half page for each and every one of the Arcana (one or the other for all of them), emphasizing the "good" qualities of each that discordians and other TFYS groups see. Even if you don't agree with those lights, write them as convincingly as possible. Obviously, I will accept only one person for this position depending on who I feel is most fit for it in terms of viewpoint -- that means cynical assholes may go elsewhere and gleefully await the final product.

For the argumentative: I am not doing this to cater to mooks who prefer to frolick with the fairies in the fields even as the excrement begins to hit the ventilator. My goal here is to present something that dispells illusions, encourages pessimism, and MAKES PEOPLE THINK. Luckily, I doubt this will be addressed to many people -- you lot all seem to encourage creativity, regardless of whether or not you agree with the intent.

Interested parties should have some form of IM client so I can discuss the idea with them while we're working on the thing. IRC works too. Not entirely necessary, but it'd be a big, big help.

Aaand I think that's all. Sorry if I came off as a cunt here, I'm channelling the pure distilled wrath of the gods and that comes with side effects.
#242
I'd suggest the Otherland series by Tad Williams. I still haven't completed those, but they are seriously really neat to read. I don't see them as particularly Discordian, but I don't read much Discordian stuff to begin with.

Neither Pattern Recognition nor Neuromancer are particularly good Gibson books. I'd say his best was All Tomorrow's Parties, the conclusion of the Bridge trilogy.

I'd also say that Neal Stephenson's The Diamond Age deserves a spot along side the other two. It's probably one of the very best books I've ever read.

Greg Egan's Schild's Ladder or Distress would be good candidates. I have a particular love for Egan's work.

And while on the subject of Philip K. Dick, the only story of his that I liked would be probably Ubik. The others I've all but forgotten by now. Ubik at least stuck with me.
#243
Or Kill Me / Re: Sublime reversals
March 23, 2009, 10:15:28 AM
Mostly the problems come from the people in my family and community, people who think that because they never got past burger-flipping, anyone hoping to make a living with an occupation that they GOD-FORBID ACTUALLY ENJOY is doomed to failure.

...I think it might be time for me to write a full rant on this subject so I don't eat your topic. Sorry!
#244
I originally resolved to stay the fuck out of this because I don't really know anyone here yet. But after reading the post Hunter quoted, you did in fact come off as a super-arrogant dickhead. It felt like you were a superhero talking to an idolizing child. That's pathetic, and I don't say such things lightly -- especially not when I'm a complete newbie talking to someone who's been here longer than me.

I doubt you've left, and so I'd like you to think hard before you come back. How would you feel if I was so patronizing to you?
#245
Elysian Fields - Black Acres
#246
The Rapture - Killing
#247
Can't get the review for Spelunky, but I can get you a forum thread with 150+ pages since December. Iji and World of Goo coming up.

http://db.tigsource.com/games/iji
http://db.tigsource.com/games/world-of-goo

And the Spelunky thread.

http://forums.tigsource.com/index.php?topic=4017.0

And yeah, if you haven't played Derek Yu's other games (Aquaria, Eternal Daughter) you owe it to yourself to do so.
#248
Indie games! I totally have to search this topic to see if you had my favorites. And if not, recommend them to you.

EDIT:

You owe it to yourself to play Iji.

NOW. I'm not even joking. Best freeware platforming shmup ever IMO.

Also, Spelunky is VERY fun (in an old school roguelike sort of way, oddly enough) and I'd recommend World of Goo if you haven't played it.
#249
Or Kill Me / Re: Sublime reversals
March 21, 2009, 01:20:31 PM
Well aware of this. Still, I'd prefer to be an independent developer. I know several ex-Blizzard/Ubisoft/EA-slaves, and it sounds like the commercial industry is the last place I'd want to be. Plus I know others who can help with the difficult stuff, like (if I ever decide to) incorporating.
#250
Or Kill Me / Re: Sublime reversals
March 21, 2009, 01:09:31 PM
I notice the first bit, where people want you to feel like shit if you don't have a job. It's worse still if you're working on self-employment, especially in an industry such as the video game industry. I hear all the time: "you'll never make it," "pipe dream," "damn you're stupid." I point out fellows like Tarn Adams, or Nifflas, who live on donations from their fans -- and most of the games I'm aiming to make would be commercial quality, and therefore commercial priced. Universally, the response is "but you aren't them," followed by, "and there's no guarantee your games will be good." Apparently, because I'm only 20 years old and haven't gone to college for this shit, creativity and sheer force of will are incapable of pulling me through. Oh, and everything I come up with sucks.

Contrast my employed fellows on TIGSource, who are always cheered on by their friends and family. Fucking christ.

Sorry about the minor thread hi-jacking. I normally try hard to avoid doing that, to the point of completely avoiding posting at all in some threads. But this resonated with me quite strongly.
#251
Or Kill Me / Re: Plus, I Got Religion
March 21, 2009, 06:08:21 AM
Math in general is completely fucked. Games and surreal numbers make me dizzy.
#252
Grendel - Noisome

EDIT:
The Lord Weird Slough Feg - The Great Ice Wars
#253
Royksopp - Eple

EDIT:
Lost Signal - Perfect Sky
#254
Urceus Exit - Illumination (Flaming Hard Drive Mix)

I love this song. It's just so surreal sounding.

Also, next up: The Lord Weird Slough Feg - The Great Ice Wars
#255
Panzer AG - Paper Angel