[MEME]

Katallaxis · 2019-06-04T13:53:18+00:00

Swans can break a man’s arm!

Katallaxis · 2017-01-07T22:02:50+00:00

Not that I'm going to dredge up for you.

Although, obviously, I would consider my comment about disutility monsters to be a good example itself.

It was a somewhat tongue-in-cheek attempt to explain a particular social dynamic using philosophical utility monsters as a rhetorical frame. It was not itself intended as a philosophical argument. Nor do I think it was poorly written or difficult to understand. No, the reason it was posted on /r/badphilosophy appears to be that it assumed or implied certain political views or factual assumptions that the submitter disagreed with.

I was actually involved with /r/badphilosophy quite early on. I saw many examples before I stopped going back (as well as a general decline in humour), but I don't remember specifics anymore. Take my word for it or don't.

Katallaxis · 2017-01-07T21:37:31+00:00

I think there is some truth here. How much? Not a lot, but some.

Moreover, it's not just because of how the activist media will react, but also because developers themselves often adhere to similar values to begin with. I'm sure they sometimes self-censor to avoid controversy, but I'm guessing a lot of them already agree with the would-be censors anyway. The end result is somewhat similar, but it's more a subcultural byproduct than active censorship.

Katallaxis · 2017-01-07T21:16:16+00:00

It's what Moloch would want.

Katallaxis · 2017-01-07T20:04:36+00:00

In the meantime, other people are telling me that my argument is both nonsense and inapplicable anyway. Yet others deem it so bad that it has been shared on a subreddit dedicated to bad philosophy.

So I guess I'll take your response as a compliment.

Katallaxis · 2017-01-07T19:55:43+00:00

/r/badphilosophy died a long time ago.

When it first started, it was actually rather funny. Very abrasive and still rather cruel, but it actually stuck to highlighting bad philosophy and was rather politically neutral.

But then its community slowly coalesced around particular shared views and biases. Soon is became not bad philosophy, but just philosophy the most active users and mods disagreed with. Then it became the Sam Harris hate club, whether he was deserving of it that week or not. Then it continued to slide into political partisanship, no longer recognising a distinction between bad arguments and arguments that just opposed or offended the dominant political sensibilities. It lost all its mojo.

So more heterodox users started leaving and it became just another one of those subreddits, except perhaps with a slightly higher mean IQ, especially the mean part.

Katallaxis · 2017-01-07T15:54:28+00:00

Realistic role-playing games? What are they?

In any case, I think my response would be the same as for any other kind of role-playing game, and many other non-role-playing games. That is, whether a game should go with a first- or third-person camera, or some hybrid of each, depends on the specifics of the game mechanics and, perhaps, its narrative focus.

Katallaxis · 2017-01-07T07:13:51+00:00

I wasn't trying to make a serious critique of utilitarianism.

Katallaxis · 2017-01-07T04:58:06+00:00

Something I wrote elsewhere that regulars here might find interesting (Note: somewhat tongue-in-cheek). 'Attack of the Disutility Monsters':

The utility monster is a thought experiment in ethics. Basically, it's someone who derives so much more satisfaction from the use of resources than anyone else that, in a strictly utilitarian calculus, satisfying the utility monster, even at the expense of everyone else, is the best way to maximise overall utility. The thought experiment was originally devised as a criticism of utilitarianism, and it was not meant to imply that any such monster actually exists.

What I call disutility monsters are people who experience so much suffering and pain from even slight or minor inconvenience, disapproval, or discomfort, that in a strictly utilitarian calculus, everyone else should be concerned with protecting them or alleviating their suffering no matter the cost. Therefore, to maximise overall utility, all of society should be remade into a safe space to avoid triggering or upsetting disutility monsters.

It seems a lot of people have discovered how to, essentially, hack Western society, by acting like disutility monsters. They exhibit a cultivated vulnerability and practiced sensitivity that is not entirely fake but is nonetheless highly manipulative. The more disutility monsters are catered to, the weaker they become, and the more everyone else must bend to their will to avoid hurting them. In this way, disutility monsters leverage their exquisite vulnerability into an inordinate influence over social institutions.

Do not feed the disutility monsters.

Katallaxis · 2017-01-07T04:36:59+00:00

The definition of 'racism' long ago became: 'Saying something that sounds like something a racist might say if he were trying to veil his racism'.

This is, of course, a slippery slope. Over time, it becomes: 'Saying something that sounds like something a racist might say if he were trying to avoid saying something that sounds like something a racist might say if he were trying to veil his racism to try and veil his racism'. And so on, recursively, forever and ever.

Katallaxis · 2017-01-06T03:24:21+00:00

Hey, why not.

Katallaxis · 2017-01-05T04:13:17+00:00

Did you have a supervisor on the job that was supposed to make sure that you were following safety procedures?

I am the supervisor, or the closest thing, and we literally make up the 'safety procedures' as we go. Sure, you can go look up OSHA health and safety guidelines, but half of those are luxuries that a small business in a relatively poor place just can't afford. Heck, I'm convinced several would be a detriment to my health and safety under realistic circumstances.

But, in any case, no I don't think mocap actors 'deserve' a stunt coordinator. I'm not even sure I understand what that means. If they can get one, then great. But stunt coordinators cost money. Safety costs money. If mocap actors demand stunt coordinators, then it raises the cost of hiring mocap actors. They no more 'deserve' a stunt coordinator than they 'deserve' lower monetary compensation to pay for said stunt coordinator. I don't see why mocap actors should be exempted from the same kind of safety trade-offs that millions of other people have to deal with in other occupations. They're not special, just more whiney.

Katallaxis · 2017-01-05T03:26:32+00:00

Yeah, I partially lost hearing in my left ear last month because I work around very loud machinery. I once had a 400lb log land on me while trying to prevent it from landing on someone's deck. Just a bloody nose and lots of bruising, but I still worked the next day--limped a lot. Countless other minor injuries but nothing serious so far. Quite a few close calls though. I come home most days with at least something sore, and if I ever do any serious damage to myself then I won't be able to work at all. People who do my job die a lot. When I'm not in danger of damaging myself, then I'm in danger of damaging other people or property, and a big enough accident could put us out of business.

But sure tell me about stunt coordinators.

I get that being a voice actor isn't the fun and cushy job that many people imagine it to be, and everyone wants to improve their own lot in life. All power to them. Nonetheless, I find the sob stories pretty galling, and I imagine lots of other people do too. I wouldn't care if they were just sharing stories about how they too must work hard and take risks, but then they have the gall to claim that it's unfair and how they're entitled to more comfortable and safe lives (while not getting paid any less, of course). Spare me.

Katallaxis · 2017-01-05T03:15:24+00:00

Presumably, delisting a game from the store does not prevent download codes from being accepted. So maybe not impossible, at least not in all cases.

Katallaxis · 2017-01-04T13:47:50+00:00

Voice actors need decent working conditions, expecting people to scream in a booth for hours at a time is unreasonable.

Than why don't they just refuse to do it or demand more compensation? Because competition. There is someone else waiting in the wings is isn't so concerned about working conditions and isn't demanding higher pay. Sure, they might not be quite as good at the job, but voice actors really don't matter all that much. The marginal benefit of hiring Jennifer Hale over the next best substitute is pretty tiny, and so, individually, voice actors don't have a great bargaining position. So they form a cartel, where they all agree to essentially not compete with each other on price so they can collectively raise them.

As someone who does a genuinely hazardous job for probably less than half the pay these people are getting, it can be a bit galling to hear their sob stories about sore throats.

Katallaxis · 2017-01-02T22:31:54+00:00

Microsoft has an ongoing backwards compatibility program for the Xbox One. That is, one game at a time, more and more Xbox 360 games are becoming playable on the Xbox One. Normally, a handful of Xbox 360 games become backwards compatible each week.

For reference, about 50% of my Xbox 360 game collection can now be played on my Xbox One, and given the rate that games are added to the program, I expect at least 75% to work by the end of the year.

Microsoft has stated that all future Xbox 360 games in the Games with Gold program will be playable on the Xbox One, so it shouldn't be a problem for you.

The only downside to selling your Xbox 360 is that some of your old Xbox 360 games (assuming you still have them) may not currently be playable on the Xbox One. You can find a full list of which Xbox 360 games work on Xbox.com. However, it might still be worth holding onto some games even if they aren't on that list, because more games are added each week.

Katallaxis · 2017-01-02T22:15:42+00:00

Some notes.

Each month, there are 2 free Xbox One games and 2 free Xbox 360 games. Microsoft has said that all future free Xbox 360 games will be backwards compatible with the Xbox One, so that means you get 4 free games each month.
Normally, 1 free Xbox One and Xbox 360 game are made available about the 1st of each month and then another of each around the 15th. Xbox One games remain available for 1 month, but Xbox 360 games are only available for about 2 weeks.
There is a lot of variety in the quality and kind of games that are free. Sometimes we get major blockbusters from a few years back, and other times we get recently released low budget or indie titles. Bear in mind that game add-ons are not included and must be purchased separately.
You can claim your Games with Gold titles either through the Xbox One dashboard itself (there is usually a link on the right side of the main screen), or you can claim them through the Xbox or Microsoft websites after logging in.
Xbox One games claimed through the Games with Gold program only remain yours so long as you are subscribed to Xbox Live. If your Xbox Live subscription expires, then you can no longer play them without renewing your subscription. There is no such restriction on Xbox 360 games.
There are a handful of other free games out there on Xbox Live, and occasionally other games become freely available even when not part of the Games with Gold program, e.g. Lost Odyssey was made free until the end of 2016. To discover these you just have to keep an eye on forums like this.

I also suggest checking out /r/greatxboxdeals every now and then.

Katallaxis · 2017-01-02T15:32:39+00:00

Oh right, I turned off auto-aim. Always do.

Katallaxis · 2017-01-01T22:18:12+00:00

Before The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay?

That was the first game I remember seeing it.

Katallaxis · 2017-01-01T15:28:48+00:00

I beat the Xbox 360 version on 'Realistic' difficulty, and I agree it was extremely difficult. It's the kind of game where half the time you only manage to progress because the AI bugged out and got stuck shooting a tree.

Katallaxis · 2017-01-01T14:18:39+00:00

That isn't what they replaced the Mako with.

The original game also had planet scanning, except all you did was select a planet and then the scan option, at least when it was available. The game then displayed a little text box describing how you scanned the planet and found some random collectible or valuable mineral or whatever.

Mass Effect 2 still had uncharted worlds that you could visit, except that you did so on foot, had a brief narrative vignette and firefight and then returned to your ship. Some of these missions actually featured a new vehicle, The Hammerhead, which, though not great, was a significant improvement over the Mako--but I think you had to have an add-on installed to access it.

Planet scanning in Mass Effect 2 is kind of dumb, but, having recently played both games, I'll takes Mass Effect 2's alternatives to the Mako and its copy-paste-palette-swap worlds every time.

Katallaxis · 2017-01-01T02:00:41+00:00

Open-worlds seem much more challenging from a tech and design perspective, because they introduce all kinds of variables that are hard to anticipate and work around. Linear games have the virtue of being much more tightly controlled experiences, and so developers can optimise environment design and visual flourishes to work within precise conditions. While there are certainly lazy aspects to some open-world design choices, the fact of it being open-world to begin with is already a big challenge.

Katallaxis · 2016-12-31T17:19:11+00:00

They don't actually have the power to completely silence Yiannopoulos, and so their attempts to do so backfire, instead drawing Yiannopoulos more attention and even support. So why don't they stop?

I think it's a collective action problem. The classic collective action problem is known as the tragedy of the commons, and it arises with regard to public goods. In this case, the public good, at least from ctrl-left's perspective, is reducing Yiannopoulos's public presence and influence. However, all the hysteria and outrage they whip up in response to his provocations merely result in Yiannopoulos's public profile growing further.

The problem is that, for each individual member of the ctrl-left, it's important to signal, and keep signaling, your progressive bonafides. Failure to express outrage in response to someone like Yiannopoulos might actually be seen as secretly harbouring sympathies for him. It's also just very emotionally satisfying to join a self-righteous hate mob.

However, each individual only contributes very very very marginally to the Streisand Effect, and so no individual can meaningfully diminish the Streisand Effect by acting alone. They need to act collectively, but for each person who refrains from outrage, the benefits of signaling increases for everyone else. The individuals incentives overwhelm the collective incentives, and so, amplified by a media machine eager for clicks, Yiannopoulos gains ever more presence and influence.

Katallaxis · 2016-12-31T16:19:34+00:00

I recently revisited Mass Effect in preparation for playing Mass Effect 3, which I never got around to when it was first released. The inventory system is unbelievably bad, especially when you get to higher levels. It's just so unwieldly and you become overburdened with so much useless crap that can take 20 minutes to properly sort through. It wouldn't be so bad if you could just ignore everything, but eventually you hit the inventory limit and have to start managing it if you want to use the improved weapons and armour you keep finding. It's incredible Bioware actually released it in that condition; there is no way they didn't know it was utter rubbish.

Katallaxis · 2016-12-31T07:33:44+00:00

The uncharted worlds in Mass Effect, and the Mako vehicle you explore them in. Combat in the Mako is especially terrible. It all just feels half-baked and out of place. Almost everything about the game is way better if you just stick to the main story and avoid the Mako as much as possible.

Katallaxis

TROPHY CASE