Well, since I'm sure I'd really P.O. someone on the boards if I went into a full-blown rant about Bush, I'll refrain, but just let me say, DON'T GET ME STARTED ON THAT HYPOCRIT. For one, I wouldn't even know where to begin.
Aubrey, you may not hear much about it over in the UK (Or you may, I don't know), but the anti-Bush sentiment is alive and well in this country.
As Letterman says, "29% and Falling."
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Well, since I'm sure I'd really P.O. someone on the boards if I went into a full-blown rant about Bush, I'll refrain, but just let me say, DON'T GET ME STARTED ON THAT HYPOCRIT. For one, I wouldn't even know where to begin.
Aubrey, you may not hear much about it over in the UK (Or you may, I don't know), but the anti-Bush sentiment is alive and well in this country.
As Letterman says, "29% and Falling."
Tony B's popularity is in freefall too. I've never voted for him, always thought he was a shallow charlatan, and couldn't understand how otherwise rational people could vote for him. But hey, I'm a tribal Tory, so it's hardly a surprise. :-)
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I'm confused by GW's low polls frankly.
He has done pretty much what he set out to do; he hasn't really misled anyone as to his ultimate aims; and he won the reelection pretty handily.
If he did a bunch of liberal tax hikes and gave everyone free medical care, and pulled all the troops home, and gave everybody flowers I'd understand. He has been 100% the creature he always claimed to be, so I'm confused.
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Tony B's popularity is in freefall too. I've never voted for him, always thought he was a shallow charlatan, and couldn't understand how otherwise rational people could vote for him. But hey, I'm a tribal Tory, so it's hardly a surprise. :-)
Speaking of tribalisms - what is the alternative to Tony? Is Gordon Brown a viable long-term candidate, or is he just the second coming of James Callaghan? Is David Cameron going anywhere? To me, he appears to be yet another Tory flash in the pan. Thus, it seems like British politics might become interesting again when the next elections roll around, after years of deadening one-party dominance.
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Vattnise, there was something interesting about David Cameron in the news today. According to Tatler magazine (something for toffs), David and his wife are now the number one desired guests for society dinner parties, ahead of Kate Moss (who was previously number one).
Interestingly as well, I think I heard something about Rupert Murdoch saying that he's thinking of supporting the Conservatives in the next election.
Something that gets me about the media though, is that Blair seems to be a lightning rod for the media. Aside from a few politicians, the entire government is bad though. I mean, rule by spin, cronyism, and short-term measures (like setting targets and messing with statistics) is not proper government. Thing is, some have said that Cameron admires Blair's style. As to Brown, I've seen editorials in newspapers saying that nothing would really change.It'd be nice to see a government in a Western democracy that does actually do the right (long-term) thing for once, instead of just looking at the next four years.
Hmmmm... That does bring up intersting questions - such as, who would want Kate Moss as a dinner guest? I used to live in eastern Tottenham, so I've never read Tatler... Still, that must, at some level, be good news for Mr. Cameron. After all, the Tories seem to suffer from the same lack of leadership charisma that Labour struggled with in the 1980s. Personally, I'd like to see a more prominent role being played by the Lib Dems - mostly because the whole British political system seems ripe for a big-time overhaul, and neither of the big parties have any incentives for change.
Cameron is an advertising guy, so it is no surprise that he likes Blair's style - Blair is probably Europe's best packaged political product. Or at least he used to be. His previous spin seems to have caught up with him now, much as it has with the Bush crew over here.
Finally, I totally agree that Blair has taken a lot of hits that he might not have stricly deserved. However, that seems to be true for all public figures in Britain. With your press corps, I fail to comprehend how anyone would ever run for public office. Ah, how I miss our kinder, gentler Norwegian politics...
I friggen hate when one of dumb ass player keeps playing these crap characters!!!!!!!!
He always plays theses S**T human rangers or rouges that only do bloody 4 damage a round.
I hate how he will focus on shooting for exsample(take all the feats, high dex etc)and then ends up using a longsword in combat!!!!
He has never risked a characters life so save another even if they have been in the same game from 1st to 10th level, he'll spend 3 rounds trying to get into flank but dont wanna get hit!!! And i hate how he always says "MEH"!!
I hate it because he will sit there all bloody night and not say a word and then when we find some loot or somthing he will stab us in the back for it!!!!
He cant roleplay to save him self and he must not be there for the fights cos he's as usefull as a 3rd tit so STOP BLOODY PLAYING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Other than him the rest of my group(mates)is great and my DM is one of the best!!
Agghhh thats better
Cheers
I don't know if anyone else has seen the commercials for it, but there's a Nicolas Cage movie coming out about the World Trade Center attacks. That, honestly, really ticks me off. Making movies about World War II or Vietnam in the last twenty years doesn't bother me, because both wars have been established as part of history. But the World Trade Center wasn't even a decade ago and they're making a movie about it?! WHY?!! I'm pretty sure most of us can remember what happened and saw it with our own eyes on the news or in front of us. Making a movie about an honest to goodness tragedy less than 10 years after it happened, while it still shapes reactionary politics in this country is disgusting. Alex, I'll take "Pro-War Propaganda" for 200, please. Propaganda has to be the only purpose this film would serve; rallying up support for the Republicans during the upcoming elections can be the only explanation. Education can't be the idea and anyone that sees this movie as entertainment has a very strange idea of what the word "entertainment" means.
Let's remember an event burned into our consciousness with a cheesey Nicolas Cage movie. Great. Even if the proceeds do go to a good cause (which I haven't heard anything about, so it must be about profit), I'd rather have a nail driven through my head than see that trash.
What's wrong with escapism in a movie, honestly? A cheesey movie for the purposes of entertainment isn't anything I would ever get upset over. But a cheesey movie about recent real-world events is just offensive. The only way it could ever get worse is if Ben Affleck were in it somewhere. Or if there was a digitally animated weeping eagle during the credits.
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Vattnise,
Are Norwegian politicians usually perceived as corrupt by the population?
According to a recent Transparency International study, Norwegian politicians are the most corrupt in Scandinavia, but I (and most other folks I know) do not really see our politicians as being outright bribable. Proportional representation and governmental campaigning support means that politicians are rarely directly beholden to campaign contributors the way they are in the US; rather, the problem is that Norwegian politics is a very tight buddy system, where it is more about who you know than what you do that gets you nominated onto the party lists. Our politicians whine constantly about being hated by "the people", who "just doesn't understand" how hard their job is; of course, this kind of complaining only adds to their approval ratings... It also does not help that the parties share about 85% of their ideological content and then go out of their way to denounce the opposition; the electorate easily sees through such theatrics.
Thus, I would have to say no - politicians are not really seen as corrupt. If these is a uniquely Norwegian smell of corruption, it usually lingers in public works contracts (but not as badly as in Japan) or in the fisheries and forestries sectors - however, that's nothing new for most countries. However, that does not mean that they are popular. Our politicians are elitist (but not as much as, say, in France), often unconcerned with national issues (but not as indifferent as in, for example, Italy), often incompetent (as the parties often reward youth and ideological fervour rather than a proven track record) and generally disliked (but nothing close to Great Britain or the US), but that is probably true for politicians in all countries. Come to think of it, I don't really miss these dorks at all...
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I don't know if anyone else has seen the commercials for it, but there's a Nicolas Cage movie coming out about the World Trade Center attacks. That, honestly, really ticks me off. Making movies about World War II or Vietnam in the last twenty years doesn't bother me, because both wars have been established as part of history. But the World Trade Center wasn't even a decade ago and they're making a movie about it?! WHY?!! I'm pretty sure most of us can remember what happened and saw it with our own eyes on the news or in front of us. Making a movie about an honest to goodness tragedy less than 10 years after it happened, while it still shapes reactionary politics in this country is disgusting. Alex, I'll take "Pro-War Propaganda" for 200, please. Propaganda has to be the only purpose this film would serve; rallying up support for the Republicans during the upcoming elections can be the only explanation. Education can't be the idea and anyone that sees this movie as entertainment has a very strange idea of what the word "entertainment" means.
Let's remember an event burned into our consciousness with a cheesey Nicolas Cage movie. Great. Even if the proceeds do go to a good cause (which I haven't heard anything about, so it must be about profit), I'd rather have a nail driven through my head than see that trash.
What's wrong with escapism in a movie, honestly? A cheesey movie for the purposes of entertainment isn't anything I would ever get upset over. But a cheesey movie about recent real-world events is just offensive. The only way it could ever get worse is if Ben Affleck were in it somewhere. Or if there was a digitally animated weeping eagle during the credits.
Right on. I'll sign your petition to stop this trend - especially if Ben Affleck is in it. *shudder*
...he hasn't really misled anyone as to his ultimate aims...
Please, God, tell me this is sarcasm. Deception and fear tactics have been the only consistant part of his policy, ever.
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Okay, 29% approval rating.
More than 29% of the voters voted for him, right?
My point is this: what the heck did they expect from him that is so different than what he has delivered during his presidency? What if anything would have garnered him a higher approval rating?
He's been true to character the whole time, and I can't for the life of me understand what changed that now, all of a sudden, this massive constituency turns their back on this person they voted into office. They've totally divested themselves from the responsibility of it by saying they disapprove of his job performance. Where was this disapproval two years ago, when the states were all turning red? What has he done, that he DID NOT say he would do? He's pulling the exact same crap he pulled BEFORE the election, he hasn't changed his stripes, so that is what I mean when I say with some sarcasm that I really don't understand where this low approval rating comes from.
"Otherworld" is an excellent series. However, I liked his "Memory, Sorrow and Thorn" series (a trilogy so ridiculously massive it is now sold as four books...) even better. It is more classic fantasy, but well worth the read once you get into it. Also, it has the best villain ever! All hail Ingen Jegger!!
Memory, Sorrow and Thorn never quite did it for me. I recall liking them well enough when I read them but I honestly cannot remember a single thing about them at this point. Otherland probably won't have that problem because, beyond being a good story, it explores the concept of immortality in a manner relevant to the modern world. So the message within the story is meaningful even after the books are completed.
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I hate hypocrites.
I hate people that complain about the current state of the american economy, taxes or anything else that our leadership could be considered responsible for, but then are to damn lazy to vote. Voting gives you the right to b!+(h. If you don't vote, if you do not take an active role in correcting perceived wrongs then shut the hell up.
I hate the media in general. I hate it when they compare the war in iraq to vietnam. I hate that I am unable to get unbiased news. And then I hate that I have to make decisions based on innacurate or biased news.
I hate the rapid advancement video game-like immediate satisfaction nature of D&D esperience canon.
I hate ignorant closed-minded people, especially those in leadership positions.
Oh my god do I hate Nacho Libre.
I hate people who use phrases like "we should just kill them all" or "we should make the entire middle-east on big glass bowl. Holy S&%t you f&c&in neandrathal. You have no inkling of our purpose in Iraq. Can you not comprehend that we are here to help the people of this country.
Specifically I hate one particular soldier from my tour in Iraq. I will not use his name and if you are a moderator you do not need to edit this because I am not threatening violence. This violence has already happened. That is one yellow rotten tooth that he will never again be able to suck on while bumbling his way through english language. This individual pissed in a gatorade bottle and threw it across the wire to the group of iraqi kids that gathered there daily to beg for food and sodas. This is probably the only true instance of hate I have ever felt.
Tam.......out.
Okay, 29% approval rating.
More than 29% of the voters voted for him, right?
My point is this: what the heck did they expect from him that is so different than what he has delivered during his presidency? What if anything would have garnered him a higher approval rating?
He's been true to character the whole time, and I can't for the life of me understand what changed that now, all of a sudden, this massive constituency turns their back on this person they voted into office. They've totally divested themselves from the responsibility of it by saying they disapprove of his job performance. Where was this disapproval two years ago, when the states were all turning red? What has he done, that he DID NOT say he would do? He's pulling the exact same crap he pulled BEFORE the election, he hasn't changed his stripes, so that is what I mean when I say with some sarcasm that I really don't understand where this low approval rating comes from.
How G. W. Bush won the election again:
Ahem,
GAYZ IS BAD!!!!!!!!!!1!!!11!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Okay, 29% approval rating.
More than 29% of the voters voted for him, right?
My point is this: what the heck did they expect from him that is so different than what he has delivered during his presidency?
It's hard to say that he was a man true to his colors since the election of 2000 because his platform didn't take the events of 2001 into account. Today it seems like his entire platform is drawn from 9/11 when in reality that wasn't the case for his first election. Anyways you are smart to notice and actually ask why things are diffrent. Basically the war in Iraq was more or less popular, the occupation was not (Wikipedia explanation). I stumbled across an interesting Bush quote from the second presidental debate:
Bush criticized the Clinton administration policy in Somalia, where 18 Americans died in 1993 trying to sort out warring factions, and in the Balkans, where United States peacekeeping troops perform a variety of functions. "I don't think our troops ought to be used for what's called nation-building," Bush said in the second presidential debate. Here's the link.
Looks like this thread lost something of it's initial glory and grandeur from when it started and turned into a political discussion. BLEH!
On to the rant!
I hate when players spend 10+ years playing the game and STILL don't know how to make their own characters. Why does this happen? Because for 10+ years, they have always had someone else make it for them, because they're TOO BUSY!? One of my players noticed last night that I'd short-changed them on a Base Attack Bonus when they leveled last time and threw a fit. My response - Do it yourself next time! I could really care less if YOU lose something. It's not MY character!
I hate when you set the game for 4:30pm and your players show up at 4:30pm and then proceed to chatter about random non-sense for an hour, with longer distractions during the actual game. Yes, gaming is a social experience, but come on! Stay LATE if you want that sort of thing. Better yet - SHOW UP EARLY!
I hate when you complete an adventure and before the players go home, they start whining about their XP from that night's adventure. Sure, that's an old stand-by, but if I don't, remind me next time! If I didn't give it out, it's likely because I'm too damned tired! Thank GOD for the MS Excel program someone gave me that auto-calcs all that stuff for me. Enter the CR, enter the number of monsters, click off which characters were present, and it' calculates out everyone's XP for the entire evening!
On a related note - I F*CKING HATE the CR system and multiple monsters! 16 Kobolds are NOT A CR 9 encounter when you're 4th level. They're at most maybe a 6 unless you play them brilliantly.
I hate WotC's pattern of constantly putting out new books with new feats, new monsters and new spells, which makes me have to say "you can't use that book you just paid $30+ for because I haven't read it, don't INTEND on reading it, and disagree in general with the very idea of you constantly spending money I have to use on BILLS to buy books and then coming back with unbalanced characters.
I hate full blades! They're nothing more than a friggin' Large-sized Bastard Sword, so why name it something ELSE?! How the hell do you swing one, anyway? They're meant for LARGE CREATURES! Large creatures tend not to swing those things in close combat INSIDE A DUNGEON unless the room they're in is HUGE!
I hate that you can unload 50 arrows into a monster in an online game in two combats, but players hardly ever use more than 10 in an entire dungeon because combats take so long and they spend so much time maneuvering for a "clear shot" that they never fire. It's called Point Blank Shot and Precise Shot. Otherwise, DON'T BOTHER.
I hate that WotC can't figure out how much to charge for a given book. Selling a book that has 120 pages in it for the same price as one that has twice that is DUMB.
I hate the miniatures system like so many others. Sell them individually, ya numbskulls. If people don't BUY twenty Lemures (for instance), you don't MAKE that many of them. It's been like that for years in the lead/pewter modeling industry and people STILL buy them! *GASP* WHAT A CONCEPT!
I hate that ALL WotC modules are designed with a party of severely munchkined PCs in mind, and that if my group of ROLE PLAYERS tries to play through said adventures, they get turned into so much JELLY.
I absolutely HATE Florida. You should be able to get into your car without being covered in sweat from the time you left your house to the time you got in.
I hate players who never learn the rules.
I hate players who think they know the rules inside out and you're always wrong about them.
I hate players with no charisma who play characters with high charisma and then try to speak like their character and inevitably say something that comes out wrong, resulting in a minus to their roll (because no matter what, what you say as a player SHOULD reflect what your character is saying/doing).
I hate trying to write adventures using the new treasure rules. That's one of the very first reasons why I don't write my own adventures!
I hate players who come to my house, use my toilet paper, eat my food and slouch all over my furniture, who don't bother to clean up after themselves, offer to pay for that pizza, or ever, even after 10 years of playing with me, offer to give any money for fixing that damned chair they broke last year and still fiddle with every time they come over.
I hate players who make characters who don't want to interact with the world. Why make a Shadow Gnome Thief who can Hide in Plain Sight and never lets themself be seen? How do you function in life? Do you just steal everything from everyone and live in your own little world, Mr. Nowhere Man?
I LOVE PAIZO.
I love Amazon.com. Why spend more money at the local store when I can get the same things online for $5.00 - $10.00 less if I'm willing to wait a few days? Sure, the local store owner suffers, but he KNOWS they're out there, so why doesn't he change his pricing?
I love the internet. It allows me to rant to people with similar ideas and issues, who can then complain right alongside me and know that, in the end, none of this stuff really matters unless those JERKS in marketing over at WotC actually read this stuff. Because, really, yes, 3.0 and 3.5 are more stat-driven, monster-chomping adventuring games than "ROLEPLAYING" than D&D was in the past, but they're just doing what TSR did with 2nd Edition and the ENDLESS Monster Manual... The guys who made the game gave us something we can have fun about, b+~%& about online with others, but which ultimately, ends up drawing us back in for more.
Oh, one last thing. I hate typos and bad grammar. Especially my own.
So, nyah.
Syrinx
I hate players who come to my house, use my toilet paper, eat my food and slouch all over my furniture, who don't bother to clean up after themselves, offer to pay for that pizza, or ever, even after 10 years of playing with me, offer to give any money for fixing that damned chair they broke last year and still fiddle with every time they come over.
Tell them you'll have pizza in advance for players that pay in X amount to you. Serve the food to those that paid for it and maybe offer a lower quality food such as moose liver to those that don't. I wasn't quick to chip in until a friend did the very same to me, then i learned manners real quick. I guess if you get really ARGGGHH! then rotate the location among everyone.
...yes, 3.0 and 3.5 are more stat-driven, monster-chomping adventuring games than "ROLEPLAYING" than D&D was in the past, but they're just doing what TSR did with 2nd Edition and the ENDLESS Monster Manual... The guys who made the game gave us something we can have fun about, b!!@~ about online with others, but which ultimately, ends up drawing us back in for more.
Yeah, the same content creation by Wotc helps us bring to life our roleplaying worlds also means we have to keep buying books to stay current with the players..but Wotc has to keep creating, just like microchips have to get smaller and faster for a chip maker to keep turning a profit.
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I have one that has been bothering me. In the news in my area is a story of a 3 kids in the city crawling into the trunk of an abandoned car, getting trapped and dying from the heat. The mother who "wasn't watching them of only a few minutes" is now accusing the police of not being concerned enough in their response or search. Hundreds of people and many cops scoured the neighborhood. The kids were in the trunk of a car within a couple hundred feet of the woman's house. She has filed a lawsuit against the city of Philadelphia PD.
Why? Here it comes.
WATCH YOUR FRIGGIN' KIDS!!!! YOU LIVE IN A BAD NEIGHBORHOOD!!! WHY ARE THEY ROAMING THE STREETS ALONE!!! YOU SHOULD BE CHARGED WITH NEGLECT AND WHATEVER ELSE A BAD PARENT SHOULD BE CHARGED WITH WHEN THEIR NEGLECT RESULTS IN THEIR CHILDREN LOSING THEIR LIVES!!! SUE THE POLICE!!!! THEY DIDN'T CHARGE YOU WITH ANYTHING BECAUSE OF YOUR LOSS AND THEY DIDN'T WANT TO ADD THAT BURDEN TO YOUR PAIN, SO NOW YOU WANT TO GET RICH FROM YOUR NEGLECTFUL ACTIONS?!?!? WHERE DO THEY FIND THESE PEOPLE?!?!?!
fh
A hell of a good rant.
Bravo! THAT is what this thread is for! Keep up the anger... embrace the dark side... (heavy, rasping breathing)
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I have one that has been bothering me. In the news in my area is a story of a 3 kids in the city crawling into the trunk of an abandoned car, getting trapped and dying from the heat. The mother who "wasn't watching them of only a few minutes" is now accusing the police of not being concerned enough in their response or search. Hundreds of people and many cops scoured the neighborhood. The kids were in the trunk of a car within a couple hundred feet of the woman's house. She has filed a lawsuit against the city of Philadelphia PD.
Why? Here it comes.
WATCH YOUR FRIGGIN' KIDS!!!! YOU LIVE IN A BAD NEIGHBORHOOD!!! WHY ARE THEY ROAMING THE STREETS ALONE!!! YOU SHOULD BE CHARGED WITH NEGLECT AND WHATEVER ELSE A BAD PARENT SHOULD BE CHARGED WITH WHEN THEIR NEGLECT RESULTS IN THEIR CHILDREN LOSING THEIR LIVES!!! SUE THE POLICE!!!! THEY DIDN'T CHARGE YOU WITH ANYTHING BECAUSE OF YOUR LOSS AND THEY DIDN'T WANT TO ADD THAT BURDEN TO YOUR PAIN, SO NOW YOU WANT TO GET RICH FROM YOUR NEGLECTFUL ACTIONS?!?!? WHERE DO THEY FIND THESE PEOPLE?!?!?!
fh
I remember this thing. I didn't know that crazy woman was suing the Philly PD, but I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Oh well, you can't cure stupid.
Oh well, you can't cure stupid.
As is often quoted on the DDO forums, "I'm sorry, my cleric spells can't heal stupid."
People like the aforementioned women are the reason there is birth control - some people shouldn't be anywhere near raising children. At All. Evar.
I HATE AMERICA.
I HATE G.BUSH.
I HATE HOW EVERYONE B!$%+ES ABOUT G.BUSH AND YET YOU VOTED FOR HIM.
I hate how you guys started power gaming and ruined D&D!!
I hate that a lady could lose her children and still try and make money outta it......only in the U.S.A could that happen!!!
I hate that s&$$ty networks can all the good tv shows for more crappy surviors!!!!!!!!!!!!8+ seasons is enough guys!!
I hate that you guys think that when someone comes to america that they should speck american - not english - but american!!!
I hate that when 1000's die somewhere eles in the world its in the news for a few days but if it happens in the U.S.A(eg. 9/11)we have to hear about for years......for gods sake, you guys still go on about it!!!!!!!! Time to move on people.
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Patriotism.......rearing ugly........head.......must...... resist temptation........to point.........out......other countries faults.........AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH the pain. Like a heavy s&%t, holding myeslf back is starting to hurt.
I hate people who want to be "american" but lack the motivation or refuse to learn to speak "american." If I somehow got it in my head to become "mexican" I would work my a$$ off to learn "mexican" but not "spanish" though the two share some incredible similarities. And for the record, by "american" and "mexican" I mean "citizen".
Tam.....out
edit: Some of my "american" is flawed.
Post Script: From now on I am going to consider D&D as "american" as baseball, apple pie and chevrolet.
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Sebastian you have inspired me.
Other american inventions that allow you to deride us include but are not limited to.....
The electricity that powers your computer,
the computer that the electricity powers,
the light you use to read your issues of dungeon and dragon magazines,
the ariplane that you will fly on when you decide to vacation in america,
the t.v. on which you watched the news of 911
I love america, in all of its flawed glory.
On a side note, I remember hearing on the radio a speech by a canadian journalist extolling the virtues of american despite the trend of other nations to speak ill of our young country. Does anyone know where I can find a .wav file of this speech or maybe a transcript of it, thanks.
Tam
I HATE AMERICA.
I HATE G.BUSH.
I HATE HOW EVERYONE b*&&!ES ABOUT G.BUSH AND YET YOU VOTED FOR HIM.
I hate how you guys started power gaming and ruined D&D!!
I hate that a lady could lose her children and still try and make money outta it......only in the U.S.A could that happen!!!
I hate that s%*&ty networks can all the good tv shows for more crappy surviors!!!!!!!!!!!!8+ seasons is enough guys!!
I hate that you guys think that when someone comes to america that they should speck american - not english - but american!!!
I hate that when 1000's die somewhere eles in the world its in the news for a few days but if it happens in the U.S.A(eg. 9/11)we have to hear about for years......for gods sake, you guys still go on about it!!!!!!!! Time to move on people.
I am usually a lurker and do not post much, but this was too tempting. Rambo you have some anger issues and quite possibly received some negative propaganda against Americans. Now I am proud to be an American. Are we all good people. NO! Just like every other country in the world there is good, bad, apethetic,empathetic, cruel, generous (yeah, yeah, yeah I could keep going)
You start off dissing our President. Fine, I am not a big fan either and voted for Kerry. But, then you dis our playing style. Yo HO HO stop right there.
Oh by the way, Survivor sucks, I care about any catastrophy (sp?) worlwide and have donated $1000's. All life on this planet is precious no matter what country you hail from or what genus of species you are.
Oh right, now for my rant - You can dis our justice system, dis our president, even dis our television networks (where did that come from?), but NEVER EVER EVER EVER DIS OUR DUNGEON & DRAGONS! And just a side note: If you are going to spend a good chunk of time in our wonderful USA learn F'n American.
I would respect your culture, and speak and dress appropriatly.
Utak (protecting the right of half-orcs everywhere)
Playing devil's advocate.
Proud American. Love my country.
But isn't the title of the thread an open invitation to come in here and b!+#$ and complain about whatever is bugging you? So, let old "Rambo" (strange choice of avatar name, btw) have his rant. So he/she hates America and all of the rest of it. OK.
Here's my rant.
What seriously ticks me off...
Players that have to constantly question everything when things are going bad for their character.
Players that need to one up every other player and the DM.
Players that have no respect for the rest of the players around the table by belching (loudly and obnoxiously), farting, talking about smutty stuff, especially if my wife is present (actually those people are never invited back to my home or my game).
Well said. There's little that is more frustrating than ranting in a designated rant thread and then having people argue with your rant.
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I'll tell you what ticks me off.
4th of July--perfect fraggin day to open Pirates of the Caribbean II. But nooooooooooooo! I have to wait one more day! Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!
And my wife dislikes Johnny Depp AND Orlando Bloom, AND gets antsy if a movie is over 2 hours long.
But...I took her to see the Lake House, so I gets mine. It wasn't too bad a movie actually; but for all intents and purposes I did do my Chick Flick duty. All apologies to anyone offended by 'chick,' however I think in the phrase Chick Flick it is more of a useful descriptive than a chauvinistic slur.
I also hate those Jack Chick comics. What a wanker.
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I hate how you guys started power gaming and ruined D&D!!
Y'know - I'm getting fairly tired of how the new D&D encourages "power gaming" at the expense of (I assume) "role playing", which implicitly suggests that old AD&D did the reverse. While this point was most recently raised by Mr. Rambo, it seems like a prevalent theme on this thread (together with how evil WotC is for producing RPGs), and, in my opinion, it is just plain wrong.
3.x D&D gives you more options and variety than the previous editions; that is not synonymous with "encourages power gaming". If anything, the now-workable skill system gives PCs something to do out of combat, unlike the supposedly good old days. And if certain class combos strike you as unbalanced - do you seriously think that it was better before? Anyone who remembers those dual-classed clerics with 7 levels of fighter and double specialisation with longsword (to get those 2 attacks per round with +3 to hit and damage before embarking on the spellcaster path) knows that the previous versions could be exploited by those so inclined, and this is true of every RPG system (even TWERPS, with only one stat and no classes was susceptible to this...). My old FLGS in-store games had annoying campaign regulars boasting about their ambidextrous elven fighter/cleric/magic-users casting Wish in elven chain long before 3.0 came out. The problem of power gaming isn't caused by the new edition - it is caused by players.
And, finally, if anyone wants to whine about power gaming - could you please provide a workable definition of it? Is it planning out character level progression in advance? That's not "power gaming", that is called "character concept". Is it taking Fighter levels to get more feats? Is it playing Drow Rangers?? Don't complain about nebulous concepts!! What is it??!! WHAT!!?? AAARGHH!!! *head implodes*
And my wife dislikes Johnny Depp AND Orlando Bloom
OK, I've met (a few) females who dislike good old Legolas, but even heterosexual males like Johnny Depp! I think your wife is just being deliberately contrary! :)
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And my wife dislikes Johnny Depp AND Orlando BloomOK, I've met (a few) females who dislike good old Legolas, but even heterosexual males like Johnny Depp! I think your wife is just being deliberately contrary! :)
Is she a gamer? You can overlook alot when the Sig.other is a gamer. Mine isn't but she has other qualities which make up for it(she can tolerate me slightly more than most).
FH (patent pending)
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She's more conservative than I am, and Johnny Depp is kinda liberal in his views on things.
But she's going to see the movie, I swears it, else I'll go it alone, aye I will.
She likes videogames, and we used to play Everquest and those Baldur's Gate games on Xbox and PS2. She never played table top D&D before she met me, but she's played a few times,...before her spawn came along and ruined all my fun (I'm kidding I love my kids. 2 more maybe I'll have an adventuring party).
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Then, to top it all off, I get my Goon #18 comic today, and they didn't run the story they were going to, because some religious lady ran an anticampaign against it or something, and the comic shops weren't going to carry it. It's like that freaking Tom Hanks movie crap all over again. "I keep giving the innkeepers this coin, and it appears magically in my coinpurse every morning." Yeah, right. I'm so deep into D&D I don't understand reality no more. Bite me, fanboy!
Just like I sez--the best books are the BANNED ones.
Ok Ok i could lie to your faces like the rest of the world and pretend to love america - but i dont love it.
And i think you'll be hard pressed to find any body outside your corrupted(sp) empire that does=)
Maybe its because i play xbox live or that i use to play World of Warcraft(which may i add you guys ruined)that i have such strong felling towards america.
Every single person that has shot me in the back, b#$~* and moaned because i dont sound american and must be "Pom" etc has been american!! What is it?? You guys just like pissing people off!!??
Dont get me wrong, i love the movies you guys make!!
Bad Boys 2!! Blade 2, oh man i could go on!!!
But lets not get past the fact that 98% of americans are dicks. Plain an simple.
Now who started power gaming??
YOU.
POWER GAMING #1 - "When an American wants to be the best in his/her group so he/she throws roleplaying out the window and just trys to do the most damage."
Just stand back for and look at America through everyones eles eyes.
Oh no a city got flooded, harden up band together and get past it!!!
Not turn on each other and rob everyone blind!!!!!!!!
And dont get me started on that grid iron!!! Take the pads off you bloody pussys and play a real mans sport!!!
RUGBY.
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Ok Ok i could lie to your faces like the rest of the world and pretend to love america - but i dont love it.
And i think you'll be hard pressed to find any body outside your corrupted(sp) empire that does=)
Maybe its because i play xbox live or that i use to play World of Warcraft(which may i add you guys ruined)that i have such strong felling towards america.
Every single person that has shot me in the back, b#*~& and moaned because i dont sound american and must be "Pom" etc has been american!! What is it?? You guys just like pissing people off!!??
Dont get me wrong, i love the movies you guys make!!
Bad Boys 2!! Blade 2, oh man i could go on!!!
But lets not get past the fact that 98% of americans are dicks. Plain an simple.Now who started power gaming??
YOU.
POWER GAMING #1 - "When an American wants to be the best in his/her group so he/she throws roleplaying out the window and just trys to do the most damage."Just stand back for and look at America through everyones eles eyes.
Oh no a city got flooded, harden up band together and get past it!!!
Not turn on each other and rob everyone blind!!!!!!!!
And dont get me started on that grid iron!!! Take the pads off you bloody pussys and play a real mans sport!!!RUGBY.
Expect to be flamed for this.
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I hate players who ignore warnings, under prepare, and then get themselves TPKd, and then somehow think it's everyone else's fault but their own. Players take responsibility for your actions. Actually you could just say people and apply that to anything :)
I hate players who claim to be insomniacs but spend all night playing WoW and then cancel D&D because they are tired and couldn't get any sleep. Don't play WoW all night perhaps?
I hate how splatbooks/expansions/supplements have turned D&D in a wargame with a constant cold war that is so pervasive, and horrendously commercialised and untested/balanced, that players that used to be good RPers and story weavers have become munchkins/power gamers, min/maxers, insert derogatory label here. Back to the Core books I think and converting basic D&D modules to 3.5 to remind them of where this all started and what has been lost :)
I also hate opinions being presented as facts.
Like others though I like this thread though, very cathartic :)
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Ok Ok i could lie to your faces like the rest of the world and pretend to love america - but i dont love it.
And i think you'll be hard pressed to find any body outside your corrupted(sp) empire that does=)
Maybe its because i play xbox live or that i use to play World of Warcraft(which may i add you guys ruined)that i have such strong felling towards america.
Every single person that has shot me in the back, b#**& and moaned because i dont sound american and must be "Pom" etc has been american!! What is it?? You guys just like pissing people off!!??
Dont get me wrong, i love the movies you guys make!!
Bad Boys 2!! Blade 2, oh man i could go on!!!
But lets not get past the fact that 98% of americans are dicks. Plain an simple.Now who started power gaming??
YOU.
POWER GAMING #1 - "When an American wants to be the best in his/her group so he/she throws roleplaying out the window and just trys to do the most damage."Just stand back for and look at America through everyones eles eyes.
Oh no a city got flooded, harden up band together and get past it!!!
Not turn on each other and rob everyone blind!!!!!!!!
And dont get me started on that grid iron!!! Take the pads off you bloody pussys and play a real mans sport!!!RUGBY.
Wow, I hate people who lump people together based on race, creed, nationality etc. I don't know what country you are from but I was brought up to not be a racist, prejudiced, person. If you had said that you hated people who did that stuff, I would have listened to your rant, I wouldn't have an issue with it, but you are just being ignorant in your generalized classification.
It is the RANT THREAD and everyone should be able to rant without being flamed. You, however, are a disgusting breed of animal: a prejudiced ass. I would never lump together all people in YOUR country into that class because of a few bad apples (like yourself). That is like saying "I hate English people because they have rotten teeth.". They don't. A stereotype has been placed on many peoples to lump them together and make them the object of hatred. You are contributing to the ugliness that runs rampant in the world. Thanks for showing what you are like and I am sure most of the other posters here will take notice of your name/avatar and either ignore you or flame you from here on out. When you have problems with lots of people maybe its not the other people, maybe its you.btw: Any sport where men want to roll around together in the mud is a bit wonky to me. Not that there is anything wrong with it.
And no one in my group powergames, these boards are filled with Americans who disagree with powergaming, and I would love to know how you tracked the origins of powergaming to America.
FH (you are the problem)
I hate people who judge a whole culture based on the actions of a few idiots. Judging 300 million by the way that some of them play computer games and RPGs? Wow....as a counterpoint, I present my snap judgment categorization of about a billion people:
I love Americans because of Samuel Adams.
I love Germans because of Franziskaner Hefe Weizen.
I love Brits because of Old Peculier (and Bass Ale)
I love Scots because of Glenlivet.
I love the Irish because of Guiness Stout.
I love Aussies because of Foster's Bitter.
I love Canadians because of Labatt's Blue.
I love Belgians because of Trappist Ale.
I love the Dutch because of Heineken.
I love the Danish because of Carlsberg.
I love the Italians because of Peroni.
I love the Japanese because of Asahi Black.
I love Mexicans because of Bohemia. (with lime, Corona is for pad-wearing wimps from America ;)
*Burp*
Okay, here goes my rant:
I hate Psionics, I hate the Psionic classes, I hate the Psionic books, and I am fed up of the single player in a group who asks any GM running D&D “Can I play a Psionic?” and will then presses the issue for over an hour, going into how “They aren’t really that cheesy…”
No. Psionics aren’t THAT cheesy, but unless a campaign has been catered for Psionics, they aren’t suitable classes, not for the other players that have to put up with the Psionic-lover, not the GM when the Psionic-lover pulls yet another trick out of his ass.
I hate D20 Modern. Don't know exactly why, except that it just wasn’t what I was expecting, and that I consider it to be pure rubbish that does not offer anything new to GMs or Players alike.
I hate how Fireborn (from Fantasy Flights Games) has been discontinued. It was a great idea with a great system. It was different in the face of the many D20 systems and games.
I hate how things are procceeding in the current Monday game that I attend. I ran Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil (RttToEE) for a year and then handed the reins over to another GM running a different game. During that time, one player (a elven cleric) refused to cast any healing spells, as she felt that it was “too sterotypical to do so” (luckily there were three clerics in the group), she also kept harping on about the superiority of 2nd Ed, and spent most sessions trailing behind the rest of the PCs, and OOC doodling on her character sheet. Another player, a good friend, was a real problem player who often missed things that I said, including desriptions, and would then ask about things five minutes later. Once I described (in good detail) the party’s approach of an abandonded ghost town (Nulb), going into detail about the weather, the masses of mud, weeds, conditions of the structures, etc. The party then procceeded into the town and encountered a band of undead, at which point the problem-player accused me of just teleporting them into it as he could not recall my describing of the town!
It has now been a year since I (temporarily) stopped running RttToEE, but no-one is particularly enjoying the current game. Most of the other players want me to run RttToEE, and expect me to be the one to tell the other GM this. The problem-player has even gone as far as to call ME a coward for not telling the current GM that we are disinterested in the game, yet they themselves have no intention of speaking to the GM. Truth be told, I was looking forward to running, but not have been demotivated by the other players’ constant griping.
I hate it when, in combat, it comes to a player’s turn to take action and only then do they start weighing up their options, looking through spells or abilities, when they had the opportunity to do so druing that last few minutes in which others were making their actions.
I hate it when PCs go up a level, but the players don’t bother levelling during the week (when they have the opportunity to do so) and instead wait until we next meet at the gaming table, a week later.
I dislike the 2Ed-Fan-Girl-Player who is playing 3.5 Ed, who saves all her money up (has over 20,000gp) but is not saving for anything particular and doesn’t even have a Cloak of Resistance, Ring of Protection, etc, so becomes a burden, and is still playing as a level 6 PC, when she knows that she should be about Lv 9, but just hasn’t bothered to level up, and then acts surprised when someone notices. Yes this is the same Elven Cleric that dislikes healing others (and even herself).
I dislike the I-need-to-drink-to-have-a-good-time player, who after two hours of game play (and drinking), sleeps OOC for the next two hours.
I dislike the Metagamer who instructs you on how to make a thermo-nuclear device in D&D. A character would know of no such things! You can’t make it, you can’t have it, so please shut up, and stop whining.
I dislike the Psionic-Fanboy.
I dislike the players that say that they are too busy to GM a game. What?!?! And I’m not too busy? I have a life as well, a job, etc, yet I can manage it.
I hate the tight strictures that a Paladin faces, which can often hinder a party’s Role-Playing and interaction with NPCs.
I hate how I have spent the last two hours cooking a Rum-Baba ‘Cake’ for a RPing game tomorrow, and it’s all gone lopsided.
I hate World of Warcraft, and dislike the hours of endless chatter from players discussing how their characters are getting on.
I hate how I am a perfectionist that never achieve what I want, or would like.
I hate how I am unable to ‘wing it’ or run things ‘off the cuff’. I need notes, and pages of possibilities to function.
I hate it when GMs over-analyse things J
I hate it when GMs ‘wing it’.
I hate how I have become addicted to those stupid D&D Miniatures. The War of the Dragon Queen, WILL be the last set that I ever buy. I promise you that.
I hate it that I am unable to buy the Huge Black Dragon – Alternate Paint – from Piazo because I am not a subscriber. I really really want it.
I hate all the additional supplements that keep coming out. The first four Complete supplements I could stomach, but now it’s getting stupid: Complete Mage, Complete Psionic, DMG2, PHB2, to name but a few. Published adventures will be the only products that I buy from now on (and the aforementioned minatures).
PS: Paizo, I really do want that modified alternate Huge Black Dragon with Sorcerer atop.
Ok Ok i could lie to your faces like the rest of the world and pretend to love america - but i dont love it.
And i think you'll be hard pressed to find any body outside your corrupted(sp) empire that does=)
Maybe its because i play xbox live or that i use to play World of Warcraft(which may i add you guys ruined)that i have such strong felling towards america.
Every single person that has shot me in the back, b#!*@ and moaned because i dont sound american and must be "Pom" etc has been american!! What is it?? You guys just like pissing people off!!??
Dont get me wrong, i love the movies you guys make!!
Bad Boys 2!! Blade 2, oh man i could go on!!!
But lets not get past the fact that 98% of americans are dicks. Plain an simple.Now who started power gaming??
YOU.
POWER GAMING #1 - "When an American wants to be the best in his/her group so he/she throws roleplaying out the window and just trys to do the most damage."Just stand back for and look at America through everyones eles eyes.
Oh no a city got flooded, harden up band together and get past it!!!
Not turn on each other and rob everyone blind!!!!!!!!
And dont get me started on that grid iron!!! Take the pads off you bloody pussys and play a real mans sport!!!RUGBY.
To those who would say that this is a column for ranting and that ranters need not defend themselves... there is a chink in that logic. If someone's post becomes the thing I want to rant against, I should suffer no editorial lean.
Every ill you named and aimed at the US has either elements or heaping chunks of truth, but everyone hates a superpower for supernumery reasons--usually a disastrous foriegn policy. And yes, the Buddhists concur: 98 percent of everything is sh#te... and I guess we're a part of everything... but I don't completely agree.
I think the number is lower and I think the real problem is human weakness; be it our animal aggressiveness, our faith in the unproven when it leads to tragedy, and our short sightedness. All of us. France, for instance, likes to come across as the voice of reason but I do recall that their imperialism didn't stop until after bombing the tar out of the Vietnamese back in the day and.. well dizzamn, man... they covertly blew up Greenpeace's Rainbow Warrior ship at dock! They got caught and had to pay for a new one. Priceless.
So we can all decry the aggressiveness of others to be the problem while dualistically acting aggressively ourselves. It's like the lawmaker who works to have violent sports stopped, all the while going home to smack his wife around.
You're not angrier at the way things go in the US than I am and I'm an American. But I didn't formulate my ideas based on nationalistic teen dinks who play Xbox live or the academically incorrect version of things where your mates playing rugby (which we play here as well) somehow makes you a tougher lot (we're actually weak BECAUSE of Xbox live--all that couch time... so hard to move...). Sorry you had some bad experiences with mean people who say mean things. It'll happen. Every country has bullies and jerks.
Let them get to you and you become one, eventually shooting your mouth off to anyone who'll listen. Maybe even calling people savages and pussies. What an odd dichotomy, to be a savage pussy. Thanks for the hateful generalization. I'm sure you, in your esteemed knowledge of the world, must have just pegged me. Wow... you know you're right? I AM a SAVAGE PUSSY!
The truth has set me free! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!
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I love Canadians because of Labatt's Blue.
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Has a Canadian I have to say that you could have picked a better beer to love us for. Not a bad choice by any means, but not the best. I recommend you try some microbrewries from Québec, loads of good stuff.
I hate people who judge a whole culture based on the actions of a few idiots. Judging 300 million by the way that some of them play computer games and RPGs? Wow....as a counterpoint, I present my snap judgment categorization of about a billion people:
I love Americans because of Samuel Adams.
I love Germans because of Franziskaner Hefe Weizen.
I love Brits because of Old Peculier (and Bass Ale)
I love Scots because of Glenlivet.
I love the Irish because of Guiness Stout.
I love Aussies because of Foster's Bitter.
I love Canadians because of Labatt's Blue.
I love Belgians because of Trappist Ale.
I love the Dutch because of Heineken.
I love the Danish because of Carlsberg.
I love the Italians because of Peroni.
I love the Japanese because of Asahi Black.
I love Mexicans because of Bohemia. (with lime, Corona is for pad-wearing wimps from America ;)*Burp*
beer and single malt scotch whiskey, brings the wolrd closer.